SANDRA CLARKE
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Fish vs. Mosquitoes

9/21/2018

 
Picture
.September 21, 2018
Not many of you are old enough to remember the tv show Green Acres.  It was about a wealthy city dwelling couple who, upon the husbands request, move to the country.  The wife, Lisa, played by the glamorous Eva Gabor (Zsa Zsa's sister), went along with the simple life to please her husband, Oliver (Lisa pronounced,
Ol-lee-vr).  When we bought our off-grid property I knew my "Inner-Lisa" from Green Acres would occasionally emerge.  Spring mosquito season is one of those times. Every Fall I anticipate Spring planting and working around the homestead.  And every year I dread the mosquitoes and avoid outdoor work.  Our 2.5 acres is wooded, rocky, and full of water sources that mosquitoes love.  Standing water is their favourite place to lay larvae.  Our medium sized frog pond is over populated with mosquito larvae.  The frogs, birds, and bats are awesome and do their best to eat the mosquitoes, but we still have too many mosquitos.  
This week I started my annual Spring mosquito deterent research.  I had always wanted to try putting more fish in the pond.  Our creek is full of fish.  The creek was the source of water for the pond, however, a previous owner of the property dammed off the pond so no new fish enter the pond.  (We are grateful to him for creating the pond.)
My research lead me to a fish called, gambusia (mosquito fish) that love eating mosquito larvae.  I can't find information on these fish in Ontario.  They appear to be tropical pond dwellers.  I will never introduce a potential invasive animal on our property.  (see below *).  Gambusia fish look a lot like the minnows in our creek.  This weekend I will move a couple dozen creek minnows to the pond and see what happens in the Spring.  I don't anticipate that this will solve all our Spring mosquito problems, but I think it's a good start. 
I have plans to thin out the overgrown branches around the pond, create an Earth Loom, and sitting area for meditation around the pond.  It would be awesome if we could enjoy the pond area in Spring 2019.  I'll keep you posted.  Sandra XOXO

* Mosquito fish (Gambusia affinis) - Aquatic Invasive Species. Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife. The virtues of the mosquito fish, Gambusia affinis, have been extolled by many mosquito control organizations. However, the species can be a major pest when introduced outside their natural range.

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Sandra Clarke

Tel & Text: 416-993-9718
Mailing Address: 7-5536 Montevideo Road, Mississauga, Ontario L5N2P4
Homestead Address: 2722 Dyno Road, Highlands East, Ontario K0L1M0
Email: sandra@sandraclarke.ca Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/sandraclarke

Professional Summary

  • Excellent communication and management qualifications especially in homesteading and creative fields.
  • Professional and friendly interpersonal skills with the ability to establish rapport with clients and co-workers. 
  • Strong technical working knowledge of Canva, Adobe Illustrator, Mailchimp (similar to Mailerlite) email marketing, Survey Monkey for data collecting and analysis, all Google applications; docs, sheets, slides, Weebly (similar to WordPress), Audacity audio editing and recording, Video editing softwares, example: Camtasia, and all social media platform. Please see my https://linktr.ee/sandraclarke links.
  • Extensive public speaking background as a teacher and presenter; in-person, online, and pre-recorded. 

Homestead Summary

  • Dedicated off-the-grid homesteader since 2010 in Highlands East, Ontario.
  • Beekeeping
  • Raising chickens, eggs
  • Raising rabbits, fiber arts
  • Vermiculture
  • Permaculture & Hugelkultur
  • Microgreens & Sprouts gardening

Employment History & Workshops

2010 to present
Off-the-grid Homesteader in Highlands East, Ontario

2022 to present
Visual Arts Mississauga
Workshop artist and educator for all ages specializing in Craftivism and Homesteading Skills; spinning wheel, fiber arts, sewing skills, zero-waste skills.

2022
Digitize Your Art Portfolio TD Culture Lab & Mississauga Arts Council
Oct 2022 Creative Business Workshop Facilitator
Focus on helping creatives build their business strategies and grow.
2022
Rails End Gallery & Arts Centre, Haliburton, Ontario
Craftivism Workshops.
July: Visible Mending & Earth Looms.
Aug: Useful Things, Repurposing Textiles and Fabric.
Contract: Build and run the summer craftivism workshops. Write workshop descriptions, promote on social media, film and live stream workshop highlights for social media and future tutorials. Reference: Laurie Jones, Art Director and Curator 

2021
Arts Council of Haliburton Highlands, Haliburton, Ontario
Program Coordinator, The Digital Comfort Studio / Cafe
January 2021 to December 2021
Contract: Build the curriculum for the Digital Comfort Studio and the Digital Comfort Cafe. Hire workshop facilitators.  Promote programs on social media. Write promotional materials, social media posts, and all correspondence.  Host the online workshops.  Follow up with participants. Surveys. Data collection and analysis. 
References Pat Jones, Chris Lynd, Tammy Rea


2018 to 2020
Loyalist College, Bancroft, Ontario
Artist, Art Instructor and Art Business Instructor
Online and In-person
Contract: Course creator and teacher for; Build Your Creative Business, Needle and Wet Felting, Eco-Kids Friends of Lakes and Land, Design Your Own Drop Spindle, Social Media for Artist.
Reference: Maureen Kelly

2018
Living Arts Centre, Mississauga, Ontario
Artist in Residence, Textile Studio & Exhibit, Homestead skills; spinning wheel, angora rabbit fibers, hand sewing, quilts.

Education History

Sheridan College, Marketing, PR & Communications, Brampton, Ontario
Sheridan College, Writing and Publishing, Oakville, Ontario

Awards

Award of Distinction from the Peel District Board of Education
2022 Curators Award, Art Gallery of Mississauga
MARTY Mississauga Art Awards

Photo Credits

The Toronto Sun, April 2013, Cottage Country Flood, Bancroft
Canadian Living Magazine, January 2013, Christmas in Cottage Country, Highlands East, Ontario
Aim for Education Magazine, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Educational Artist
Play2Podium Magazine, 2011-Present, Special Needs Families, Traveling with Special Needs
Digits & Threads online textile and fiber arts magazine 2021, 2022

Writing Credentials

Digits & Threads; 4 published articles 2021, 2022
Eco Kids: Friends of Lakes and Lands: Colouring Book / Poem
Wildflowers Of Ontario - Botanical Colouring Book
Reader’s Digest
Chatelaine
Canadian Living
Parents Magazine
Today’s Parent Magazine

Paper Art Books Lulu Publishing, 2022

​
© COPYRIGHT Sandra Clarke.
​ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • home
  • about sandra
  • workshops
  • digital art
  • school programs
  • book shop
  • best life
  • past projects
  • artist statement
  • c.v.
  • patterns
  • press
  • cottage gallery
  • textile arts gallery
  • product
  • Murals + Mockups
  • Evan Clarke
    • Suffragettes Paper Kit & Ephemera
  • free stuff
  • Artist Development
  • NordVPN