October, 2010
Stacey Vigallon selected 2010 TogetherGreen Fellow
Los Angeles Audubon is pleased to announce that Stacey Vigallon, Director of Interpretation, was selected to be a 2010 TogetherGreen Fellow, joining 40 other environmental professionals to engage people in habitat, wildlife, water, and energy projects around the country.
In addition to professional development opportunities, a grant of $10,000 provides each fellow with the opportunity to implement a conservation project of their own design. Over the next 18 months, this funding will allow Stacey to take an interdisciplinary approach to some of Los Angeles Audubon’s current education programs, integrating art and illustration instruction into hands-on habitat projects for students of all ages, thereby getting students to explore concepts with both sides of the brain.
As a biologist, science illustrator, and environmental educator, Stacey is extremely interested in a broad range of entry points to conservation, especially for public school students in highly urbanized areas where access to natural areas is limited. The field of science illustration emphasizes the intersection of art and science, demonstrating what both fields have in common - creativity, careful observation, and a commitment to accuracy. Using art, and science illustration in particular, in a conservation context offers opportunities for students to get to know their subjects on a more detailed level. Tackling a conservation concept by using both sides of the brain pushes students to internalize science knowledge and think critically about how to present that knowledge to others. For students who are initially intimidated by science and math, using art as an entry point to conservation provides an alternative route to understanding a concept and can make them feel they have something valid to contribute. Including art-related activities in a conservation context underscores the idea that conservation is for everyone, not just scientists.
Be sure to check out Los Angeles Audubon’s Science Illustration! page to view galleries of student artwork. For more information on TogetherGreen and the Fellowship program, visit togethergreen.org
Stacey Vigallon knows how to reach a variety of students. And in Los Angeles, where the student population is about as diverse as you can get, she understands that what works for some students might not work for others. 
