Art Mural 23'

2022 opened our eyes to how art can be a catalyst towards changing people and places for the better. This year we aim to explore this idea further, creating another piece of art that continues to celebrate harmony with nature and a more sustainable future. Our first step towards that mission is to fundraise so that we can allow our program to have a deeper impact. Support the cause, more details below!

Mural Overview:

KIDS PAINT BIG ART FOR A BIG IMPACT!!!

This year we brought the aesthetics of Ecuador to LA so that we could have LA giveback to Ecuador in a meaningful way. How do we achieve that?

This is a seven day art program in conjunction with a fundraiser that was set up to support  one of the most bio-diverse places on the planet (which is now in critical condition). The area this mural supports is called Tangan and is home to some of the the world's most  signficant and endemic species of plants and animals. 

Our mural was painted by students ages 12-17 during the day time and cleaned up at night with our artist team. It was designed by Eugene O'Neill, LeeMichael Krieger, Mady Fairey, Jackson Grant and Henry Waller over the last few months - with the goal of helping kids find their artistic voices while creating meaningful art. Campers spent there days receiving foundational art instructions and techniques from our lead muralist Eugene O’Neill, before painting the wall. The art we created will act as a symbol for positive impact that will help people and place through aesthetics and tangible change with our reforestation efforts in Ecuador. 

As a part of our commitment to positive impact we are raising money to support this critical habitat in Ecuador. Our project site Tangan, is nestled in between the Andes and the Amazon. This high altitude cloud forest is one of the most ecologically significant areas on the planet and is being threatened by the increasing demands to alter the landscapes for agriculture. 

Mural Specifics: 

The Birds - with more then 1,600 bird species found throughout the small country, Ecuador has the world's highest density of bird species found per acre. In fact, 1,600 different bird species accounts for almost 15% of the species known to exist in the world. Tangan acts as a safe haven for many rare and endemic species. With the clear cutting of their habitat many are now becoming endangered species. 

The People - On the far right side of the mural you'll find Ramiero and Mariana Uribe landowners of our reforestation site and protectors of a large area of primary and secondary forests. Ramiero and his family (including his two sons Fabian and Xavier) are the guardians of Tangan and have been protecting this area for over three decades. 

The Plants - Over 10% of the world's plant species can be found in Ecuador. The highest percentage of these plant species can be found in the area that Tangan is in, the northwestern part of Ecuador. More than 10,000 different plant species grow in this region, and around one half of them are endemic.

Ecuador Reforestation Project Overview

What we’ve done so far 

Since 2018, Soulstainable has planted over 1,000 native species of trees, conducted flaura and fauna counts, hosted community work efforts and have started a data base for the information we've gathered. Today, the trees from our original project are nearly 20ft tall!

Why are the forests in Tangan ecologically important?

Tangan is located within the Choco-Andino Biodiversity hotspot. Tangan and the surrounding areas have important biological value due to high levels of species biodiversity and endemism. However, this region is experiencing high rates of deforestation and conversion of land to agriculture. Within an increasingly fragmented landscape, Tangan is a high priority conservation area because it contains primary and secondary cloud forest. The forest found in and around Tangan is important in maintaining biodiversity and acts as important wildlife corridor along a mountainous, elevational gradient. Many species, especially larger mammals and birds, rely on large tracts of forest for movement and persistence. Because of Tangan’s location between the high paramo of Illiniza National Park and the lowland rainforest on the coast, Tangan serves as important habitat in maintaining landscape connectivity.

Beyond ecological benefits, the forest in and around Tangan produces ecosystem services that are valuable to surrounding communities. These include soil stabilization, nutrient cycling, watershed protection, and habitat for pollinators. All of these are important within the context of the local agricultural economy. Additional services derived from the forest also provide economic relief at the farm-scale, including the sale or use of fruits, medicinal products, and firewood. 

How will the money raised be used?

Reforestation:

To protect both ecological and social benefits that are derived from intact forest, reforestation efforts are occurring within strategic areas of Tangan. So far we have planted about 1,000 native species of trees and are looking to plant 1,000 more this January.

Species Monitoring:

While casual observations provide anecdotal evidence of the program’s success, systematic monitoring is needed to improve our understanding of the project’s outcome. Monitoring will inform ways in which the initiative can continue to improve future tree plantings, as well as shape our understanding of the exact ecological benefits that the young trees are bringing to the area- such as the return of wildlife and habitat to the area. These benefits that inevitably spill over beyond the property boundaries of Tangan, benefitting the community at large.

Biodiversity Research:

A critical step in any conservation initiative is to create a baseline inventory of local biodiversity. This provides critical information that informs later steps in the conservation process, such as deciding what habitats should be given special consideration for protection, or what tree species to plant in the reforestation efforts. Additionally, this will highlight the disparities in wildlife between the forested and the adjacent deforested areas. 

VIDEO LINK

Mural Dates: August 13-19, 2023

Questions?

LeeKrieger@soulstainable.com

Info@Soulstainable.com

Special thanks to our Donors:

Dunn Edwards 

Liquid Death 

Herschel Supply Co.

AKP Recordings

Dangerbird Records

Obey Giant

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Coco.Nella