This piece is called “Against the Tides” and was created for the Ignite Art Activism Show in North Charleston, SC in November 2025. This piece is inspired by my volunteer work with sea turtle patrol over the last few years. The Loggerhead sea turtle (SC’s official state reptile), is an excellent and heartbreaking example of survival despite multifaceted threats from human, natural, and political causes. It is estimated that only about 1 in 1000 hatchlings make it to adulthood. The survivors overcome hazards that include discarded litter washing onto shores, habitat loss due to development, boat strikes, light pollution and rising tides. Future generations and long-term survival of the species are also at risk due to increasing temperatures that can disrupt incubation, repealing clean water rules, possibly revoking legal protections for endangered species, and staffing/funding shortages for conservation agencies.