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Mischief Maker (Espanola Mockingbird with Galapagos Sea Lion) |
Kelly Dodge |
2009 |
Lakefield, Ontario Canada |
Pastel on museum paper, 14 x 21"" |
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Galapagos Sea Lions (Zalophus wollebaeki) try to enjoy midday slumber on the beaches of Galapagos. This isn't always easy as mockingbirds continually stalk them looking up their noses for flies and other tasty treats! The Espanola Mockingbird (Nesomimus macdonaldi) is a little known species that is classified as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature because its extremely limited range is restricted to just two small islands in the archipelago. The Galapagos Sea Lion has a fluctuating population size but with a suggested decline of 50 percent over the past 30 years it is currently classified as Endangered. In the fall of 2009, as the recipient of the 10th fellowship of the Artists for Conservation Flag Expedition program, I was privileged to study these two species in their natural habitat.
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