Paradise by Ian Hutton and Selva Ozelli for Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University

About the Paradise Art Show Paradise art show is a collaborative exhibition that highlights the biodiversity and climate vulnerability of Australia’s Lord Howe Island Group (LHIG) through a blend of photography, film and oil paintings. Artists • Ian Hutton: A world-renowned biologist, naturalist, and photographer who has lived on Lord Howe Island since 1980. He is the curator of the Lord Howe Island Museum and an expert on the island's unique flora and fauna. His photography for the show captures the "raw beauty" of marine life, birds, and rare cloud forests. • Selva Ozelli: An award-winning international artist, writer, and lawyer based in the Hudson Valley. Her contributions include oil paintings from her "Ocean Lovers" series, focusing on the impact of pollution and global warming on water life. Her work is endorsed by UNESCO Ocean Decade. • Core Message: The exhibition aims to show that even an isolated "Paradise" like Lord Howe Island—a UNESCO World Heritage site—is not safe from the impacts of global warming. 2026 Exhibition Locations: o Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory: Ongoing exhibition November 2025 – June 2026 celebrating the intersection of art and science. • Global Recognition: The “Paradise” art show has been featured as part of official UN World Wildlife Day and International Day of Forests events, Climate Week NY, as well as at COP30 in Belem, Brazil. In essence, Hutton and Ozelli used their "Paradise" exhibit to bring the urgent message of nature preservation, specifically concerning the unique ecosystem of Lord Howe Island, to global audiences. Lord Howe Island's wetlands include crucial seagrass beds in North Bay for turtles and fish nurseries, lowland swamp forests with endemic plants like Sallywood, and unique mossy cloud forests on peaks, alongside extensive marine wetlands like the world's southernmost coral reefs, all contributing to its rich biodiversity and World Heritage status. These ecosystems, from subtropical swamps to marine habitats, host many endemic species, highlighting their global significance. The Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) at Columbia University conducts significant research on wetland preservation, focusing on their function as natural filters, carbon sinks, and shoreline protection. LDEO scientists study wetlands from their own ecologically diverse campus to global sites, providing crucial data for conservation efforts and policy recommendations. Research & Initiatives Paleoecology Research: Scientists like Dr. Dorothy Peteet use sediment cores from lakes and wetlands (peatlands, salt marshes, bogs, fens) to document past climate and vegetational changes, which helps inform future climate change impacts and ecological shifts. Urban Impact Studies: LDEO research has found that urbanization is a major threat to wetlands, cutting off vital mineral sediment supply and weakening shoreline integrity, as seen in studies of the Jamaica Bay wetlands in NYC. Wetland Mitigation Analysis: LDEO experts analyze the effectiveness of artificial and enhanced wetlands, noting that while restoring agriculturally compromised wetlands can be successful, "created" wetlands often fail to replicate the long-term functions of natural ones, such as robust carbon sequestration. Educational Programs: The observatory operates the Hudson River Field Station which provides place-based learning opportunities and field research programs, including a secondary school program that uses the Piermont Marsh as an outdoor classroom. Campus Stewardship: The Lamont Ecosystem Impacts & Stewardship Committee (LEISC) promotes best practices on their campus, which includes preserving their own wetlands and habitats, engaging in thoughtful stewardship of their surroundings, and participating in programs like the Nyack Pollinator Pathway. For more information, you can visit the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory wetlands page or explore their various research divisions. Article: https://www.trvst.world/environment/restoring-wetlands-through-the-lens-of-cultural-heritage/ Interview: https://www.trvst.world/climate-change/interview-dr-dorothy-peteet/