Reflection

Everytime I contribute directly to helping the environment, I feel that my soul becomes connected with the Earth. The very innermost parts of me are stripped bare, connecting to the Earth. Reading Jurgenne Primavera’s interview with Restoration Stewards, I imagined that she would feel the same. Jurgenne Primavera is a Fillipina marine scientist, who works researching the conservation of prawns and mangroves in Southeast Asia. Primavera’s story with mangroves began 45 years ago; quoting Primavera herself, she was working “as a researcher for the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department, stocking sugpo (prawns) and growing them in fishponds. At the time, [she] noted some strange-looking trees along the dikes”. From Primavera’s works, I learned that there are already laws that enforce mangrove protection, but the challenge is to have the local communities implement these laws. Inspired by a photo when Primavera first began advocating for Mangroves, this artwork is created to not only celebrate Primavera’s effort, but also to show that we must coexist with the environment harmoniously. The title, Tinatangi, is a word meaning 'special someone' in the Filipino language.