![]() Their work features an assortment of styles and subjects as diverse as invertebrate illustrations and frog soundscapes in Metropolitan Manila. So far, the project has subsidized nine artists and collectives from Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia and the Philippines. “And art, or supporting the production of it, is a good way to do this.” “I think as wildlife conservationists it’s really important to try to understand how the societies and communities in which we work view wildlife, biodiversity, the environment and society,” Stokes told Mongabay. ![]() She says she wants the arts initiative to complement the practical conservation work of Wildlife Asia in locations including Salween Peace Park in Karen state, Myanmar, and in the Leuser Ecosystem in Sumatra, Indonesia. The project is the brainchild of Demelza Stokes, a project manager for Wildlife Asia and a self-confessed interdisciplinarian. Illustration courtesy of the GERIMIS Art Project. PARDICOLOR supported writer Wendi Sia in 2020 to produce zines that record details of Indigenous Orang Asli traditional crafts and forest lore in Peninsular Malaysia. This was the impetus for the PARDICOLOR Creative Arts Fund, launched by Wildlife Asia in April 2020 to provide artists in Southeast Asia with financial support to produce works that highlight wildlife, biodiversity, the environment and society. Nowhere in the world is the need for novel approaches more evident than in Southeast Asia, which has suffered devastating habitat loss over the past 30 years, bringing many endemic species to the brink of extinction. Art confronts environmental issues, challenges conventional approaches and provides a conceptual space to reimagine a better future. While practical solutions are paramount, creative art can be pivotal to building support and understanding for conservation efforts. The daunting challenges of restoring ecosystems, curbing biodiversity loss and halting deforestation require a continuous stream of new ideas. “If we can only create what we can imagine, then art and ideas are an integral part of creating an Earth that is sustainable and thriving with biodiversity,” says Pardicolor founder Demelza Stokes.Ĭreativity is vital for the development of innovative solutions to conservation conundrums.The arts initiative is intended to complement conservation work in locations like Salween Peace Park in Myanmar and Indonesia’s Leuser Ecosystem.Supported by Wildlife Asia, the PARDICOLOR Creative Arts Fund subsidizes artists producing works that highlight environmental issues in Southeast Asia.
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