Our Environment, Animal Tips & the Great Outdoors

The Firefly Environmental Arts Project launch will take place on Friday, February 21 at 7pm at the Millbrook School in Millbrook, NY. 

The Firefly Environmental Arts Project, developed by Carl Raab and Deb Schlee, is a collaborative arts and sustainability initiative engaging students and professionals within the CT/NY/MA tri-state corner to build community through shared experiences in nature and the arts. 

“The goal of the Firefly Project during its first year is to create a platform where students can collectively share their creativity and their environmental work,” the Firefly Project writes on its website.

“While the arts can often serve as a catalyst for promoting environmental issues, and our individual schools and programs are doing such wonderful work in areas of environmental sustainability, the goal of the Firefly Project is to encourage the enthusiastic, collaborative effort necessary to make even greater strides in addressing climate change and its profound impact on our planet,” said Deb Schlee, project director and lead event coordinator. 

What to expect at the event 

Curated by Tim and Sarah Good – of the Good Gallery in Kent, CT – the art exhibit features student works from the Millbrook School, Marvelwood School, Hotchkiss School, Kent School, Housatonic Valley Regional High School, South Kent School, Indian Mountain, and Salisbury School. 

In addition to the student work, the exhibit includes the works of professional artists from the region, Sarah Blodgett, Joy Brown, John Clery, Peter Corbin, Peter D. Gerakaris,  Bob Lenz, Danielle Mailer, Trevor McWilliams (Millbrook ‘01), Ellen Moon, Bill Rice, Heather Scofield, Béla Selendy, Peter Steiner, Pam White and Tom Yost. 

Further, Eileen Fielding, the director of the Sharon Audubon Society in Sharon, CT, will be a guest speaker. Her topic, “Bending the Bird Curve,” will discuss ongoing efforts to reverse the decline of bird species and how everyone can participate in that effort. Laurie Doss and students from The Marvelwood School will present, “Purple Martins: Passing the generational torch to ensure their survival in Connecticut & beyond.” This project is based on the school’s work from the past two decades, centering around how to restore populations of martins in Northwestern Connecticut. 

“What feels unique about this art exhibit is that it is showcasing the works of both professional and aspiring young artists in a collaborative, nature-inspired event,” Deb explained. “I’ve seen many adult exhibits and a number of student exhibits, but I have not seen a collaborative effort such as this one.” 

The event is free and open to the public. In the event of poor weather, the snow date for the event is Sunday, March 23 at 1pm. For more information, visit The Firefly Environmental Arts Project website fireflyenvironmentalartsproject.com and contact them at fireflyprojectinfo@gmail.com with any questions.