Welcome!

Thanks for visiting my blog! This is my first post, so maybe I'll take the opportunity to explain myself and the purpose of this space. 

I am a PhD student at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand studying seabird ecology and island restoration.  I am originally from Vancouver, Canada but went to school in Victoria and St. John's and did 3 years of research in Alaska.  Therefore, although my home is the west coast of Canada, I find myself identifying with Newfoundlanders, east-coasters, and Alaskans.  I am deeply smitten with New Zealand, yet I find myself home-sick for something inherently Canadian, especially west coast BC Canadian, that I can't seem to put my finger on.  What's not to love?:

Lions Gate Bridge, Vancouver, Canada

Coastal Mountain Range, Squamish, BC Canada

Beach-front surfing and camping, Port Renfrew, Vancouver Island, BC

Temperate rainforest, Vancouver Island BC

Strange art, Vancouver BC

Increadible marine diversity! Purple sea star BC

I am a PhD student in seabird ecology and conservation for all the reasons you would expect: I am genuinely passionate about seabirds and conservation!  But, aside from biology I am generally passionate about so many things.  As my passion becomes pigeon-holed into such a specific field, I have a hard time finding time to give to so many other things I feel strongly about, which is my main reason for starting this blog.
Convincing reasons why seabirds are really neat:

Crested Auklet: uses tangerine feather odor to attract mates

Royal Albatross: spend most of their lives at sea, up to 7 ft wing span

Ancient Murrelet: upon hatching, chicks follow their parents calls to meet them at sea

Recently I have realized that there are two things that make this world worth living in such difficult times: 1) fighting for what we believe in and 2) art.  For me, these materialize as 1) saving our planet from imminent destruction by human greed and addressing social injustice and 2) fashion.

So, this is my mission: combine the two.  I recently tried to explain to a friend the impact of fashion on the world we live in.  Although I can't put it into words - I am no art historian - it is impossible not to look at history and social issues and disregard the impact of the clothes we wear.  From the start of the feminist movement, to the modern 'slutwalk', certainly womens fashion is central to how we are perceived and thus how we progress.  In the words of a more eloquent fashion artist: "If fashion imitates art and art imitates life, does life imitate fashion – do we wear the clothes or do the clothes wear us".

Anyways, enough blabber, let's get on with it!  Essentially I would like to combine activism and aesthetic, fashion and life.   Or at least to try... so here goes!