Reflection

During a fishing session I encountered turbid algae-filled waters that led me to create my artwork because it symbolized the expanding threat of algal blooms in South Florida. A personal detrimental encounter acted as a catalyst to expand my interest in using technology for environmental protection. The concept of IoT devices brought me to an idea because they function as tools that link people to ecosystems we typically overlook. Research together with field observation and coding allowed me to integrate scientific methods with a strong sense of urgency while protecting what I love. The environmental initiative allows me to gain confidence as I develop my creative skills. This practice lets me address my worries by developing applications that profit both information management and community benefit. The practice of examining our daily habits alongside our technology systems constitutes “looking inside” whereas direct natural world involvement represents “going outside” according to the Connections to Nature approach. Audience members should understand that existing tools for change need action along with them in order to be effective. We need to establish new approaches connecting people to nature starting from the basic steps of knowledge discovery and creative development.