art for conservation

for the wolves

Elke worked as education director for Wolf Awareness, a Canadian ENGO focused on developing positive attitudes towards predators in general, the wolf in particular, and fostering an appreciation for the environment of which all of us are a part. Elke uses her art to encourage this appreciation, contributing to educational and fundraising purposes that go toward research and conservation efforts that help protect Canada’s apex predators and the ecosystems in which they play an integral role.

ecosystem jigsaw puzzles

These large-scale jigsaw puzzles, hand-built and painted, serve to provide a learning manipulative with which people can explore ecosystem connections specific to featured wildlife species. Elke has created ecosystem puzzles for a variety of conservation and education societies, including Cetus Research and Conservation Society, Quatse Salmon Stewardship Eduation Centre, the Whale Interpretive Centre, and the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea.

recycled art

As part of a group show, “The Art of Recycling” on Granville Island, Vancouver, Elke created works made of recycled and salvaged materials, emphasizing the impact that waste has on both marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Materials such as bullet casings, ocean plastic, and discarded styrofoam were used to create large-scale representations of small species threatened by anthropogenic waste and pollution.