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Painting for Conservation

Starting January 2025, the Valley Zoo Development Society is proud to host artist Misty Ring for an extraordinary year-long project at the Edmonton Valley Zoo. Misty will create 16-19 life-sized paintings of Canadian wildlife, with a special focus on Albertan species. This unique endeavor highlights the importance of conservation, with 56% of the chosen animals classified as threatened, 50% found at the Edmonton Valley Zoo, and 44% featured on the Conservation Carousel. Each brushstroke tells a story of resilience, biodiversity, and the need for collective action to protect our natural world.

 

Visitors will soon have the chance to watch Misty bring these magnificent creatures to life in the Conservation Corner, located in the Saito Centre. Stay tuned for details on her painting schedule, the species she’ll be depicting, and interactive activities that will complement the project. Once completed, Misty’s works will be available for purchase, with 30% of the proceeds benefiting The Valley Zoo Development Society and conservation organizations.​

Painting for Conservation This Weeks Hours.jpg

About the Artist

Misty’s life has always been shaped by her passion for art, animals, and nature. Growing up in British Columbia’s rugged interior, she was surrounded by mountains, lakes, and rivers that ignited her creative spirit. In 2006, she moved to Alberta, where the vast prairie sky became her new source of inspiration. A pivotal moment in her childhood was volunteering at the Kamloops Wildlife Park, where she helped bottle-feed an orphaned whitetail deer—a memory that deepened her love for wildlife and conservation.

 

From a young age, Misty was drawn to art, with animals, particularly cats, featuring prominently in her early works. She initially focused on graphite, mastering the beauty of form and detail, before expanding into painting. Today, her primary medium is oil, though her 2020 Skyscape Collection showcased her versatility in watercolour. While known for her skyscapes, Misty’s love for animals continues to guide her artistic path, urging her to merge her passions.

 

Her upcoming Painting for Conservation marks the beginning of her journey toward using art as a tool for animal conservation. Through this collection, she seeks to raise awareness about wildlife and the need for preservation, creating works that highlight the stories of those who cannot speak for themselves.

 

Misty’s artistic mission goes beyond aesthetics; she aims to provide a sense of peace and reflection. Whether capturing the grandeur of the sky or the vulnerability of wildlife, her art invites viewers to pause and consider the deeper narratives that connect us all.

 

With a Visual Arts Certificate, an Arts & Cultural Management Diploma, and an Honors Bachelor of Arts in the History of Art, Design, and Visual Culture from the University of Alberta, Misty hopes to also pursue a Masters in Art Conservation. Her dedication to both art and conservation reflects her commitment to making a lasting impact on the world around her.

Animals Included in the Project

List of potential animals for Painting for Conservation life-size paintings (not in order of to be painted, and there could be smaller studies or paintings added)

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Red Fox (At Zoo)

Swift Fox

Arctic Fox (Featured on the Conservation Carousel)

North American River Otter (At Zoo)

Peregrine Falcon (At Zoo)

Canada Lynx (At Zoo and Featured on the Conservation Carousel)

Reindeer (At Zoo)

Northern Leopard Frog (At Zoo)

Little Brown Myotis

Piping Plover

Prairie Rattlesnake

Black-Tailed Prairie Dog (Featured on the Conservation Carousel)

Burrowing Owl (At Zoo)

Great Horned Owl (Featured on the Conservation Carousel)

Great Grey Owl (Featured on the Conservation Carousel)

Snowy Owl (At Zoo and Featured on the Conservation Carousel)

Mallard (Featured on the Conservation Carousel)

Arctic Wolf (At Zoo and Featured on the Conservation Carousel)

Painting for Conservation

Book Club Sign Up Form

Many of these books are accessible via the Edmonton Public Library (including the Libby app via audiobook and ebook format). If you are outside of alberta check our your local library for services offered.

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February 2025 - The Sixth Extinction (10th Anniversary Edition): An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert but the 2015 version is perfectly fine; confirmed

March 2025 - Eight Bears: Mythic Past and Imperiled Future by Gloria Dickie; confirmed

April 2025 - Wilder by Millie Kerr; tentativeMay 2025 - The Secret Lives of Bats: My Adventures with the World's Most Misunderstood Mammals by Merlin Tuttle; tentative

June 2025 - Streams of Consequence: Dispatches from the Conservation Wolrd by Lorne Fitch; tentative

July 2025 - The Hidden Lives of Owls: The Science and Spirit of Nature's Most Elusive Birds by Leigh Calvez, tentative

August 2025 - American Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West by Nate Blakeslee; confirmed

September 2025 - The Rights of Nature: A Legal Revolution that Could Save the World by David R. Boyd; tentative

October 2025 - The Snow Leopard Project and other Adventures in Warzone Conservation by Alex Dehgan; confirmed

November 2025 - The Hidden World of the Fox by Adele Brand (wasn't going to be on the list but due to the renewed fight in the UK to reverse the twenty-year fox-hunting ban I've added it); confirmed

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If Zoom is not an accessible way for you please email me and I will see if I can turn the meeting into a hybrid meeting.

Conservation Book Club

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