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.
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)
Red Fox 1 Trouble - Complete: located in the Otter Room, EdVenture Lodge, Edmonton Valley Zoo
Red Fox 2 Mischief - Complete: located in the Otter Room, EdVenture Lodge, Edmonton Valley Zoo
Swift Fox Quiet Bonds - Complete: located in the Otter Room, EdVenture Lodge, Edmonton Valley Zoo
Mallard (Featured on the Conservation Carousel) - Complete
Arctic Fox (Featured on the Conservation Carousel) - Complete
North American River Otter (At Zoo)
Peregrine Falcon (At Zoo) - In Progress
Canada Lynx (At Zoo/Featured on Conservation Carousel) - Complete
Reindeer (At Zoo)
Northern Leopard Frog (At Zoo) - 25% complete
Little Brown Bat - 25% complete
Northern Bat - 25% complete
Piping Plover - In Progress
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)
Arctic Wolf (At Zoo and Featured on the Conservation Carousel)
Conservation Themed Book Club
It will always be held on the last Sunday of the month at 1030am unless scheduled otherwise.
Wild Neighbours Cafe, Edmonton Valley Zoo Plaza
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.
2026 Books
January - Confirmed
Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are by Frans de Waal.
Explores the depth of animal intelligence to challenge human-centered thinking, emphasizing how recognizing other species’ cognitive abilities strengthens the case for their protection and ethical conservation.
February - Confirmed
A Sand County Almanac: With Essays on Conservation from Round River by Aldo Leopold
Classic work blends lyrical observations of nature with a call for a “land ethic,” arguing that true conservation arises when humans see themselves as responsible members of a larger, interconnected community of life.
March - Tentative
Coyotes Among Us: Secrets of the City's Top Predator by Stanley D. Gehrt
World International Coyote Day is March 23, 2026
Reveals how coyotes thrive in urban environments, challenging fear-based narratives and showing how coexistence is central to modern wildlife conservation.
April - Tentative
Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter by Ben Goldfarb
World International Beaver Day is April 07, 2026
Reveals how beavers act as powerful ecosystem engineers, showing that restoring this once-maligned species can revive wetlands, boost biodiversity, and strengthen climate-resilient conservation.
May - Confirmed
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
The devastating ecological impacts of pesticides, sparking a modern environmental movement and underscoring the urgent need for science-based conservation to protect life on Earth.
June - Tentative
Kings of the Yukon by Adam Weymouth
World International Salmon Day is June 01, 2026
Follows the epic salmon run up the Yukon River to reveal how climate change, industrial pressure, and international cooperation shape the future of one of the world’s great migrations—and the ecosystems and communities that depend on it.
July - Tentative
Protecting the Prairies: Lorne Scott and the Politics of Conservation by Graham Parsons
A Saskatchewan Feature
The story of Lorne Scott’s lifelong fight for prairie ecosystems, showing how determined advocacy, science, and politics intertwine in the effort to protect one of North America’s most threatened landscapes.
August - Tentative
The Rise of Wolf 8 by Rick McIntyre
World International Wolf Day is August 13, 2026
Recounts the life of Yellowstone’s Wolf 8 to show how wolf restoration transformed ecosystems and public attitudes, illustrating the power—and fragility—of successful wildlife conservation.
September - Tentative
Nature's Best Hope by Douglas Tallamy
Argues that everyday people can reverse biodiversity loss by turning yards, campuses, and cities into native habitats, making conservation a collective, grassroots effort.
October - Tentative
Being Caribou: Five Months on Foot with the Porcupine Herd by Karsten Heuer
Chronicles his journey following a migrating caribou herd to reveal the immense challenges they face and to advocate for protecting the wild landscapes essential to their survival.
November - Tentative
Narwhals: Arctic Whales in a Melting World by Todd McLeish
Explores the biology and cultural significance of narwhals while showing how climate change and Arctic transformation threaten their future, underscoring the urgency of polar conservation.
December - Tentative
Before they Vanish: Saving Nature’s Populations – and Ourselves by Paul R. Ehrlich
Warns of accelerating species declines and shows how protecting wildlife populations is inseparable from safeguarding humanity’s own future, urging immediate, science-driven conservation action.
Waiting in the Wings
The Bird Way by Jennifer Ackerman
Jennifer Ackerman explores how birds think, communicate, and live to challenge human-centered views of intelligence, reinforcing the importance of conserving the habitats that sustain avian life.
British Columbia's Inland Rainforest: Ecology, Conservation, and Management
This book explores the unique ecology of British Columbia’s inland temperate rainforest and emphasizes the urgent need for science-based conservation and sustainable management to protect one of the world’s rarest forest ecosystems.
Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet by Ben Goldfarb
Ben Goldfarb examines how roads fragment ecosystems and how innovative crossings and design can reconnect wildlife, showing that infrastructure can become a powerful tool for conservation rather than a barrier.
Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake
Merlin Sheldrake explores the hidden networks of fungi to reveal how these organisms underpin ecosystems, challenging human-centered thinking and expanding how we understand and practice conservation.
Extreme Conservation: Life at the Edges of the World by Joel Berger
Joel Berger chronicles conservation work in some of the planet’s harshest environments, showing how protecting wildlife at ecological extremes is vital for understanding resilience and safeguarding global biodiversity.
The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman
Jennifer Ackerman reveals the remarkable intelligence of birds to challenge human assumptions and strengthen the case for conserving the habitats and species that make such cognition possible.
The Once and Future Great Lakes Country: An Ecological History by John I. Riley
An Ontario Feature
Tracing the ecological transformation of the Great Lakes region to reveal how past exploitation shaped today’s challenges and why restoring these interconnected landscapes is essential for a resilient environmental future.
Stewards of Splendor: A History of Wildlife and People in British Columbia by Richard Mackie
A British Columbia feature
Richard Mackie traces the intertwined histories of people and wildlife in British Columbia to show how stewardship, cultural values, and conservation have shaped—and can still protect—the province’s rich biodiversity.
Swamplands by Edward Struzik
Edward Struzik shows how wetlands are critical to biodiversity and climate stability, arguing that conserving swamps and marshes is essential to preventing ecological collapse in a warming world.
Travels up the Creek by Lorne Fitch
An Albertan Feature
Lorne Fitch reflects on a lifetime spent along creeks and watersheds to show how close attention to local landscapes can inspire stewardship and lasting freshwater conservation.
Unfrozen: The Fight for the Future of the Arctic by Ed Struzik
Ed Struzik investigates how climate change, development, and geopolitics are reshaping the Arctic, arguing that protecting this rapidly warming region is critical for global environmental stability.
Wasteland: The Secret World of Waste and the Urgent Search for a Cleaner Future by Oliver Franklin-Wallis
Oliver Franklin-Wallis exposes the hidden global waste system to show how pollution, inequality, and weak regulation threaten ecosystems—and why smarter, more accountable waste management is essential for conservation and human health.
What an Owl Knows by Jennifer Ackerman
Jennifer Ackerman explores the biology, intelligence, and cultural meaning of owls to reveal why understanding these elusive birds deepens our responsibility to conserve the ecosystems they depend on.
Wolves of the Yukon by Bob Hayes
Bob Hayes draws on decades of research to portray Yukon wolves as keystone predators, demonstrating how their protection is essential to maintaining healthy northern ecosystems.
2025 Books
February - The Sixth Extinction (10th Anniversary Edition): An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert
Tracing humanity’s role in accelerating a modern mass extinction while underscoring the urgent need for global conservation to protect Earth’s rapidly vanishing species.
March - Eight Bears: Mythic Past and Imperiled Future by Gloria Dickie
Follows the stories of the world’s remaining bear species to reveal how human pressures threaten their survival and why focused conservation efforts are crucial to their future.
April - Wilder by Millie Kerr
Explores rewilding efforts around the world to show how restoring wildlife and ecosystems offers a hopeful, science-driven path for global conservation.
May - The Secret Lives of Bats: My Adventures with the World's Most Misunderstood Mammals by Merlin Tuttle
Reveals the misunderstood world of bats and demonstrates how protecting these ecologically vital animals is essential for conserving healthy, resilient ecosystems.
June - Streams of Consequence: Dispatches from the Conservation World by Lorne Fitch
An Alberta Feature
Stories from a lifetime of fieldwork to reveal how human actions impact streams and watersheds, underscoring the urgent need for thoughtful, community-driven freshwater conservation.
July - Path of the Puma by Jim Williams
Follows the elusive mountain lion across the Americas to show how understanding and protecting this apex predator is vital for healthy, resilient ecosystems.
August - American Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West by Nate Blakeslee
Chronicles the life of Yellowstone’s iconic wolf O-Six to highlight how fragile wolf recovery remains and why coexistence and strong conservation policies are essential for their future.
September - The Hidden World of the Fox by Adele Brand
Uncovers the secretive lives of foxes to show how these adaptable animals navigate human-dominated landscapes and why thoughtful conservation is key to their long-term survival.
October - The Snow Leopard Project and Other Adventures in Warzone Conservation by Alex Dehgan
Recounts efforts to safeguard Afghanistan’s wildlife—especially the endangered snow leopard—demonstrating how conservation can advance even in conflict zones through science, collaboration, and resilience.
November - An African Love Story: Love, Life, and Elephants by Daphne Sheldrick
Reflects on her life rescuing and raising orphaned wildlife—especially elephants—to show how devotion, knowledge, and conservation can help protect some of Africa’s most threatened species.
December - Hope by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams
Shares reasons for hope grounded in conservation success stories, showing how individual action, resilience, and collective responsibility can help heal the natural world.
It will always be held on the last Sunday of the month at 1030am unless scheduled otherwise.
Wild Neighbours Cafe, Edmonton Valley Zoo Plaza
Honourable Mentions
The following books were all exceptional in their own way, but for whatever reason, they didn't quite make the cut for the Conservation-Themed Book Club.
Fire Weather: John Vaillant examines how climate change, fossil fuels, and land management have reshaped wildfire behavior, revealing why rethinking conservation and coexistence with fire is critical for a livable future.
Pests: Examines how animals become labeled as “pests,” revealing that our conflicts with wildlife are often of our own making and highlighting the need for coexistence-focused conservation.
Red Congo: Exposes how global demand for cobalt turns the ecosystems and communities of the Congo into a human rights and environmental crisis — showing that the costs of modern tech too often fall on the planet and its most vulnerable people.
The Golden Spruce: Unravels the story of a legendary tree on Haida Gwaii to reveal how cultural history, ecological loss, and human actions intersect, underscoring the profound stakes of forest conservation.
Wild Ones: Follows three endangered species to show how human stories, emotions, and interventions shape modern conservation, revealing both its challenges and its quiet, hopeful victories.