Student Gallery

From artifacts to portraits and landscapes of the living world, explore student artwork to encourage meaningful conversations in the classroom. Learn how to use the gallery.

Use Image Analysis Activity

Romina Arredondo (age 18)

Naucalpan, Mexico

The Face of Progress

A leaf rotten from its center.
A dark stain that at its fervor steps burns.
A leaf without precedents nor relations.
I am the only witness of its existence.
And even though I don’t watch, it lives and dies.

Observant, I find the stain taking shape in its expansion.
Clouds of steam push towards the edges of the leaf
Unpainting every green brush stroke with indifference.
Agonizing, the leaf talks to me through its pattern
and its drawing has the face of progress.

Two sentences inspired the creation of my project. Linda Hogan wrote, “What a strange alchemy we have worked, turning earth around to destroy itself, using earth’s own elements to wound it.” And, Wendell Berry wrote, “The environment is in you, it’s passing through you, you’re breathing it in and out, you and every other creature.” Both statements address the arrogance and impudence of human beings who feel that they are the owner of everything and then become destroyers. The process that I carried out to embody the idea was to put an acetate with a photo of a factory on a leaf of a plant called Pothos, so that it would be printed under the sunlight.

We find so many resources in the nature environment, and instead of taking care of and thank that source of wealth, man is coldly exploiting it. Hand in hand with the above, we have built a hierarchy in which we, as humans, are above everything and that is now part of our molding, so we ignore the fact that as living beings that make up the same world, we are equal. As individuals we exclude ourselves from what we consider to be resources, and we turn them into products that unbalance the environmental order.

Isabel Mendoza (age 17)

Villa Verdun, Mexico

“I hope my grandson will always know the other beings as a source of counsel and inspiration, and listen more to butterflies than to bulldozers.” — Robin Wall Kimmerer

Navillera
Flying beautifully, like a butterfly

It's an ethereal sight, a dream-like komorebi. The clean, fresh air of the forest, along with so many wings flapping and a river-like sound, fills the space. This is one of the most beautiful moments in my life in a place where dreaming and wishing were allowed. The migratory phenomenon of the Monarch butterfly is one of the most extraordinary and mind-blowing trajectories of a living organism. Every autumn, they abandon their breeding grounds in Canada and Northern U.S. for millions to arrive in Mexico, flying far away from the cold to a place where the temperature allows them to recharge energy. When the time comes, they go north once more. Getting to the north can take between three and four generations to complete. With unique abilities of direction and navigation, they only need good temperature with sunlight, water, and trees to rest on. It's us who need to make sure they go unbothered, but we have failed to do so. The number of monarchs each day is decreasing. This is caused by the disappearance of milkweeds, in which they lay their eggs, and climate change.

When I had the opportunity to visit the butterflies in Sierra Chincua, I realized the beauty of nature and how isolated the cities are. One may think the opposite, that in the middle of the forest you are in the middle of nowhere, but that's not true. When you stand in a place full of life, you are connected with yourself and accompanied by music, stories, love, dreams ,and wonder. Listening to the living world is much simpler than you think; it comes naturally if you let yourself go. It's when you are able to open your heart and mind, realizing we are not the only ones on this planet that you are finally starting to listen. You may lose yourself between hearing and listening. To find the difference, you need to learn about the world and its organisms. You don't have to be an expert—just treat it carefully. This planet gives us the warmth of a mother and the embrace and protection we need. If she always carries us on her back, and we don't start using our legs, she will get tired and we will both fall. If we choose to listen to our destruction instead of her stories, there will be no more future for her other daughters and sons...for our daughters and sons.

Bailey Seaton (age 16)

Florida, U.S.

Glass Planet

I have always been fascinated with reflections. I was walking in New York City and saw a circular mirror, the kind used to keep one safe from running into someone or from attack. Before taking the picture, I took note of the setting. I saw all the lines intersecting towards the mirror: the sharp lines of the awnings, the metal pole, and the buildings off in the distance. The living tree rests outside this awning, twisting and adjusting itself to the lifeless metal and concrete city. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, I might not have taken this shot. But when I look at how trees struggle for life in the concrete jungle of New York City, it made me think of the struggle for life in the human race, how this struggle to overcome the pandemic rewarded the planet in unexpected ways, and how air quality improved and animals and plants flourished. There are two central living beings (me and the tree). We are the central subjects, not objects. The living and the inanimate are juxtaposed against each other, converging at the center point, the mirror, the point of reflection. The reflection in the circular mirror of the circular world shows life the way it is, the way it should be—mankind, plant kind, and lifeless buildings existing equally.

Rose Lehrman (age 17)

Michigan, U.S.

I have always been fascinated by bird nests. When I was younger, I would try to make them on my own but, unsurprisingly, I never could quite manage to. The technique, time, and effort that a bird puts into building a nest is something that I try to emulate in my artistic practice. I’m a filmmaker and the work that I do often involves weaving random pieces of stuff together into something beautiful. A bird can see the value in a single piece of thread or a piece of trash. I think that is something we should all aspire to. I found this nest at a particularly low point in my life. It was a reminder that good things take time to build.

The living world is constantly telling us what it needs, but often, we don’t listen. Taking the time out of our day to put everything down and be in nature is something that a lot of people don’t make time to do. As humans, it is our responsibility to fight for a more equitable world where everyone can take the time to connect with the living earth that we are all a part of. We have a responsibility to fight against the corporations and oil magnates who are knowingly causing harm to this planet that we all call home. We already know what the living world is saying. Listening to it is another matter altogether.

Zoya Hussain (age 17)

Canada

“Do we treat the earth as if ki is our relative—as if the earth were animated by being—with reciprocity and reverence, or as stuff that we may treat with or without respect, as we choose?" — Robin Wall Kimmerer

This illustration depicts how humans and nature are connected in many ways; we find peace in nature, yet we continue to destroy it. The skyscrapers, along with the cloud and fog, bring about a dream-like appearance, showing how humans have distanced ourselves. We have our ‘head in the clouds,’ ignoring the consequences of the problems we cause. The buildings are transparent. I could give viewers a glimpse into what’s happening inside the buildings, reflecting on the theme of repression and confinement. People are realizing that they need to change their destructive habits and are trying to escape from the buildings. The buildings situated very close together add a congested and claustrophobic tone to the top half of the work, suggesting that this transition is difficult for people to achieve due to fear or selfishness. There are no landmarks, no personality, and all the buildings are uniform, which leaves this work open to interpretation as it could be any city. This decision is based on today’s digital and modernized world, while the buildings and trees symbolize what supports each way of life (human and non-human) and how we are distancing ourselves from nature. The skyscrapers act as the city’s ‘trees.’

The connection point between the road and the river represents nature trying to make a comeback amid the pandemic. While, at the same time, we are all forced indoors. This could represent how our impact on nature can end up hurting us, such as with climate change and deforestation. I also added fallen trees near where the forest and city meet, showing the deforestation and destruction humans cause to nature to make way for our new industrialized way of life. The river is considerably more fluid than the road, and is connected to the trees by their roots; this shows the isolation within crowded cities and the unity of nature in a balanced environment. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, I have gained a greater appreciation for the rest of the living world. Having the opportunity to stay home and take care of my mental health took me on a journey. I began to spend more time outside, stay up to date with current events, and sign petitions to protect the environment. This thought is connected to my drawing as the people living in those transparent buildings can see everything happening, yet they choose to remain distant and disregard the consequences of taking the earth for granted. The design of the river was inspired by aerial photographs of the Amazon River, on human’s dependence on and exploitation of nature.

The living world is calling out to us, and the very essence of life flows through our veins from every breath of oxygen we take to breathing out the carbon dioxide plants need to continue the cycle. We need only listen by putting Mother Nature first for once, and our prosperity will surely follow.

Gianna Gazulla (age 16)

California, U.S.

Unexpected Beauty

As quoted by Margaret Wolfe Hungerford, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” My photograph captures the unexpected beauty that exists within my community. It represents the significance of national parks in the United States and across the globe through the tangible aspects and genuine opportunities that they offer. These opportunities allow us as protectors of the earth to more fully form a personal connection with our planet—to be conscious about our actions and the impact that they have on the earth. My photograph was taken in Yosemite National Park, and though it doesn’t depict the popular imagery that many people associate with this national park, such as Half Dome or El Capitan, it symbolizes that beauty can reveal itself through lesser known, or unexpected, places.

It wasn’t easy to achieve this image, but the process reminded me that anything that is worthwhile isn’t easy—for example, protecting the Earth against climate change and environmental impacts. We have a responsibility to make sacrifices in order to call ourselves true stewards of the Earth, and during that process, we recognize the beauty that we are called to protect.

Edward Bennett (age 15)

Ohio, U.S.

Life On Metal

My ecosystem has been gradually decaying. There are fewer and fewer trees standing, and buildings and bridges are taking over the habitat. My artwork documents the balance between nature and new construction, a battle that nature is sadly losing, engulfed by industrialization. My artwork communicates how nature and manmade objects coexist in the world and how there must be limits and boundaries set in place in order to protect the planet. I hope my artwork will show that we need to take immediate action to fix the world.

William French (age 16)

New York, U.S.

We will continue to host photo contests throughout the year and we will b
My photograph is an interpretation of how we are all interconnected. It is an abstract close-up of a wire horse sculpture my father bought for me in Bogota, Colombia.The sunlight shining on the out-of-focus foreground makes the image feel curved like a sphere or a planet. The background is in focus and unlike the foreground, feels shaded in darkness. The intersecting lines are symbolic of how we are all connected to one another as human beings that share the same home.

While watching Earthrise, I was inspired by how the Apollo 8 astronauts felt about their place in the universe when seeing the Earth from space. They felt humbled to see the Earth from that perspective. At the same time, the experience allowed them to see the Earth without countries or borders that separate people. They felt an overwhelming connection to humanity. I see this feeling of unity in my photograph, as well as the beauty and chaos we’re experiencing at this moment in history.

I see a duality in my photograph. Sometimes I see it as a nest that provides safety. I also see the barbed wire of a prison that confines and isolates. This is a metaphor for our relationship to the Earth, especially during the pandemic. As people have been sheltering in place, pollution has been decreasing and the natural world has started to heal. Will we nurture Earth so it is our sanctuary? Or will we continue to destroy it and make it a prison? Like the Apollo 8 astronauts, I want to feel humbled about my place in the world, knowing we are all connected despite the divisions that prevent us from caring about each other and the Earth.

Ian Gomez (age 18)

California, U.S.

A Blue Marble and A Mound Of Salt

I believe that the way our society views nature is doing more harm than good. We tend to romanticize only the most beautiful spots on our planet and ignore the rest. If it’s not a tropical paradise or pristine woodland forest, then our appreciation veers away from it. If it doesn't fit the mold of pure wilderness, and natural beauty that we expect, then it’s tainted. This reflects our ignorance as a species to feel apart from, or above, nature. Our impact as a species is global; there is not an ecosystem on this planet that is free from our influence. We have to accept that our actions, no matter how benign, have consequences and that there is still beauty in the world we have tainted. We have to focus our attention close to home. When we pivot our attention away from the global theater to our own homes, we can recognize the environmental issues affecting us and our communities. Hopefully, this can foster a sense of accountability for our local environment, and shift our perspective as separate from nature, to an intrinsic part of it.

I took this photograph in the salt lagoons of the South Bay in Chula Vista during a cleanup effort put on by our local nature conservation center. A thunderstorm the previous day had flooded much of the gravel paths, but the salt mounds still towered over us. As a team leader, I lead groups of community members throughout the area with buckets and trash pickers. A lot of eastern Chula Vista was built on top of an estuary. Bits of this ecosystem remains walled off by development. It is a crucial area because it is a rest stop for many migratory birds and houses its own variety of native species. The large mounds of salt and gigantic rusting industrial equipment betray signs that this area is still tied to our ecosystem. Despite being choked off by a city of a quarter-million, the estuary persists. Local organizations such as the Living Coast Discovery Center, play a huge role in alleviating the stress on our local ecosystems. We host clean up events regularly alongside other community events that focus on education and sustainability. Our clean up initiative works its way around the south bay area, including a lot of the industrial zones such as the South Bay Salt Works.

Earthrise had the same impact on me that it did on the astronauts of Apollo 8; it made me realize that there is no second chance. Every square inch of this planet is invaluable. We should be working not only to protect what is left but also to rehabilitate the areas we have disturbed. When I looked over the salt mounds and rusting equipment and glanced over at the salt lagoons dotted with birds, I understood that although we can pave over the estuary, poison the bay, fill the area with steel giants, and reap the ocean of its salt, parts of the ecosystem remain. And these parts deserve just as much consideration as the forests, streams, and lakes that we have yet to decimate. Through my photograph, I want to showcase these areas and highlight the organizations that are fighting to keep them alive. At this point in time, my state has lost more than ninety percent of its wetland area. Eventually, I want the ongoing conservation and rehabilitation efforts in my city to become the precedent for the rest of the country. There is no other Earth, the blue marble we call home is all we’ve got. Every part of it.

Juan Pablo Terán González (age 18)

Mexico City, Mexico

“I hope my grandson will always know the other beings as a source of counsel and inspiration, and listen more to butterflies than to bulldozers.” — Robin Wall Kimmerer

I resonate with this excerpt from Robin Wall Kimmerer because it makes me feel connected to the reality of life. I think about who we are and the meaning of our existence. Human beings are mosaics. We have our core part, the original and authentic design that we are, but as mosaics, we are made up of several faces. The people we have known and loved and the nature surrounding us have their way of leaving a little of them inside us. Each person you see in life has something to offer you. Whether it is the person you see every day at the bus stop or the butterfly flying near a flower, learning to let ourselves be impressed and see ourselves included in the world opens all kinds of appreciation for life. Today, while we can still choose, we must decide to silence the noise of the great corporate company that seems to eat the world’s humanity. We must listen to the world and nature, feel it, and understand the story that it tells. We must simply enjoy its fleeting and ephemeral ambiguity.

When the Covid pandemic hit, it stopped the world. Faced with uncertainty, it gave us the opportunity to observe, to feel, and more than anything, to value the world. When we do not own the world, we are one with it. We were able to interrupt the rush of the day-to-day and enjoy being in the sun or barefoot on the grass. These are little things that we overlook and pay no attention to because they are present every day. We were able to miss the feeling of the sand and the sea under our feet; we were able to miss the sense of bewilderment when a drop of rain fell on our bodies and the calm feeling the heat of the sun brings when being on the street. We all believe that the pandemic came when we were living the best moment of our lives, but perhaps it came at the right moment to make us wake up from the automaton reality that we were living in.

In the journey that each one has in life, I do not think it is correct to think that it is our history in which animals and nature contribute, but that we all make a single story and each one plays their role by being one more person in the world, but in the same way unique. Within this everyone can discover and complement the world and its various components. Be the character to develop in your story and the complementary character that helps to grow in the stories of others.

I like to think that we can listen to the living world through our bodies and our emotions. I like being able to hear with my body, letting go of what is most “important” for the modern world, and holding on to the senses and everything that stimulates them.

Gabe Marusic (age 17)

Ohio, U.S.

Bought and Sold

Reciprocity is a two way road, and yet we have treated our Earth like a one-way highway, one in which we take everything without giving back. During the Covid-19 pandemic, I began to go on more walks as I found being in nature one of the best ways to escape from the hustle and bustle of the world. On one of these walks I found this sign and felt a strange irony in finding it in a forested area and decided to capture the emotion I felt behind it. In my photo, Bought and Sold, I try to capture the idea of how people often find they have the right to buy and sell nature to other people. I find that the harsh black and white film I used captures the raw emotion behind the ideas of this photo, as well as the natural sunset lighting that was used. The sign reads “sale pending,” implying the sale has not even happened yet, and yet the land is still being reserved rather than enjoyed by people. If we as people want to remain on this planet, maintaining a true relationship of reciprocity with the Earth is essential. When we just take from the Earth and never give back, we slowly kill the Earth. I found the following quote from Kimmerer especially relevant, “Birds, bugs, and berries are spoken of with the same respectful grammar as humans are.” It relates to the idea of nature and humans all being interconnected as one rather than being the two separate entities we paint them as. People tend to cut up and sell this planet we all share, but this is not our job. It was simply one we convinced ourselves we had.

Kunsh Puranik (age 18)

Lombardia, Italy

There are two sides in this photo. The right half of the image represents nature, while the left half represents humans. As seen in the image, both the human and the symbol of nature are at an equal height. This represents balance and coexistence with nature. The Covid-19 pandemic gave me time to reflect on our relationship with Mother Nature. In my opinion, it is impossible to continue living if we treat our flora and fauna with such disrespect. We must coexist with nature and a significant part of that is adjusting our lifestyles and imitating nature. In the image, the person holding the conical funnel represents an adaptation and imitation of nature [the bird]. Humans have abused the environment for too long now and it's time we show nature the same respect we show our elders. It is only through balance that prosperity will be sustained and the light of life will shine bright.

May Wu (age 17)

California, U.S.

My drawing carries a message of hope for the future of our planet’s ecosystem. The background shows the environmental consequences of war and pollution—the smoke and burning vehicles behind a girl holding a glowing earth in the center. My use of color symbolizes optimism: we can save the earth but we must come together to make change. The girl carries this message into the future. My piece raises awareness of the fragility of our environment and denounces those who cause harm to our one and only earth.

Anea Kennedy (age 15)

North Carolina, U.S.

Everything is Not Fine

My piece is what showed up in my head immediately when I heard 'the environment is in you'. I thought of the way the forests and trees are the lungs of the earth and how we are destroying and suffocating them. Factories' smokestacks emit air pollution as we breathe out carbon dioxide. Underground pipes carry water and oil like our veins carry blood under our skin. Tree roots communicate shivers of fear like our nervous systems when we're afraid. We carelessly demolish our planet that gives so much to us, that we are connected with, that enters us each time we breathe, and all the while we close our eyes and cover our ears and pretend not to notice. Every summer my family travels to northern Minnesota around lake Bemidji and Brainard, where new oil pipes are going in, running through Leech Lake. If those pipes leak they'll spread throughout all those lakes and pollute the water that holds so many family memories.

Iñaki Ramos (age 15)

Mexico City, Mexico

Paseo de la Reforma

Coming from a city with more than 8.8 million people makes it hard to see our planet as home. The streets are filled with trash, people are scared of each other, and the community is not safe. Every time you go outside you can only hear car horns and people cursing at each other. My passion for photography tries to show how any part of our planet is a beautiful place. Since we have been on lockdown, the streets of Mexico have been empty. I decided to go out and take pictures from the busiest avenue in Mexico City. Not seeing any cars was amazing. I have passed through that avenue more than a thousand times in my life, and this was the first time I realized that there is a jacaranda tree in the middle of plenty of green trees. I was so amazed that I stood in the middle of the street for more than twenty minutes taking pictures. I hope that with this photo, people can realize how colorful the streets are in Mexico and how at the end of the day, these are not only streets but our home.

The film Earthrise made me realize that from another point of view, humanity is insignificant compared to the planet Earth. I wanted to take a picture showing humanity’s connection to nature.

This avenue is an important place for me because I have experienced many stages of my life there. It is also important for millions of Mexicans because this avenue, Paseo de la Reforma, is the largest avenue in Mexico City. It helps you get from any place across the city and normally it is traversed by millions of people in their cars. People don't appreciate how it is connected to nature. I would like Paseo de la Reforma to be remembered by the world as the avenue of life because of its connection to trees, human-made bodies of water, museums, a zoo, and a castle. You can truly see human progress through this avenue.

Romina Arredondo (age 18)

Naucalpan, Mexico

The Face of Progress

Gianna Gazulla (age 16)

California, U.S.

Unexpected Beauty

Gabe Marusic (age 17)

Ohio, U.S.

Bought and Sold

Isabel Mendoza (age 17)

Villa Verdun, Mexico

“I hope my grandson will always know the other beings as a source of counsel and inspiration, and listen more to butterflies than to bulldozers.” — Robin Wall Kimmerer

Navillera
Flying beautifully, like a butterfly

Edward Bennett (age 15)

Ohio, U.S.

Life On Metal

Kunsh Puranik (age 18)

Lombardia, Italy

Bailey Seaton (age 16)

Florida, U.S.

Glass Planet

William French (age 16)

New York, U.S.

May Wu (age 17)

California, U.S.

Rose Lehrman (age 17)

Michigan, U.S.

Ian Gomez (age 18)

California, U.S.

A Blue Marble and A Mound Of Salt

Anea Kennedy (age 15)

North Carolina, U.S.

Everything is Not Fine

Zoya Hussain (age 17)

Canada

Juan Pablo Terán González (age 18)

Mexico City, Mexico

“I hope my grandson will always know the other beings as a source of counsel and inspiration, and listen more to butterflies than to bulldozers.” — Robin Wall Kimmerer

Iñaki Ramos (age 15)

Mexico City, Mexico

Paseo de la Reforma

The film Earthrise made me realize that from another point of view, humanity is insignificant compared to the planet Earth. I wanted to take a picture showing humanity’s connection to nature.

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