dani davis
about
Hi, I’m Dani! I’m an artist, photographer, and ecologist (in-training) currently nestled among pine savannas and pitcher plant bogs in the southeast. I have an unrelenting passion for our natural communities and the lives that compose them. Through everything I do, I try to understand and capture the interwoven nature of all beings in their natural spaces. With a combination of art and science, I hope to introduce and intertwine human communities with their local, natural communities. We benefit when our creature neighbors benefit, after all.
projects
seaweed for coastline resilience
Seagrasses and algae (collectively known as wrack) commonly wash up on our shorelines, brought in by the tides and deposited on the beach. These marine plants are a feast for small critters that live in the sand and attract larger animals like shorebirds to pick of the wrack-eating invertebrates. The wrack also seems to act as a fertilizer for dune building plant species. Despite the importance of this food source for the beach community, these decaying plants are often swept off of the beach for aesthetic purposes.
Through a long-term monitoring and an isotopic tracing study, I hope to show that wrack-derived nutrients are important for the growth and development of the plant species that build our beach dunes- a critical structure for protecting our coastlines.
natural communities & endangered species
We live surrounded by a mosaic of natural communities, each with its own plants, animals and fungi. In these communities, each species is part of the interwoven tapestry of the ecosystem, where each and every species is integral to the health and functioning of all others in the habitat- forming a beautiful and interconnected web of life.
Through traditional art mediums such as linocut prints and pen & ink, photography & film, and digital art, I am highlighting different aspects of each of Florida’s unique communities to raise awareness of the incredible diversity that’s just outside our doors. We don’t need to travel to far away places and tropical rain forests to experience the beauty of nature, it just takes and opening of the eyes and mind to the creatures that live alongside us.
natural history in the classroom
To bring the field into the classroom this semester, I’m working on a series of short videos highlighting the local biodiversity surrounding the Tallahassee region. These videos will focus on different natural communities, highlight the webs of relationships that make up the community. It’s a work in progress – they will be uploaded to youtube each week, so check back to see new videos!
contact
I’m always happy to share
stories and collaborate! Reach out
on social media, shoot me an email, or contact me using the form below.
email: ddavis8@fsu.edu
