By Stephanie Williams, Program Coordinator
If you are in desperate need of a nature-based costume idea, check out these Nature Conservancy-inspired options! In no particular order:
Prescribed Fire – Over-the-counter fire will not do the trick here, people! You need the real stuff. Dress up as a doctor and, with your prescription pad, you know what to do! Draw some fire on that and pass it out to those who need it.
Global Seafood Supply Chain – This one makes an excellent group costume! Have each of your friends dress as a fish, a fisherman, a broker, a packager — and so on and so forth. Link arms and make the chain as long as you want.
Stormwater – This is the gory costume you've always wanted. Find all the taupe-colored clothing you own, put it on, add some oil smears, draw a mitochondria or two on there — really yuck it up. Find a rubber salmon and carry it around all night to show people how serious you are.
Derelict fishing gear – So simple and so affordable! Grab some marine litter to plaster over yourself. Careful trick or treating with this one, though. You may arrive at home with some unintentional bycatch, such as a diver, some fish or a poor scared seabird.
Smoke - Go as fire's evil sidekick. To successfully dress as smoke, cover yourself in cotton balls and then spray paint your whole outfit a matte dark grey. Add a red sun to up the creepiness factor. If you wear this to a party, be sure to linger and ignore all cultural norms of personal space.
Ocean Acidification - Do you like attending white parties? Do you also have a serious shellfish allergy? Then this morbid costume may be the one for you! Wear lots of blue and stick pH test paper all over yourself. You may want to add crustaceous accessories, but avoid the temptation at all costs. If you must add flare, let it be algal blooms only.
The Emerald Edge – Dress up as a spirit bear! You'll have to get a regular brown bear costume and then bleach it white. For the finishing touch, paint an emerald-green stripe down the edge of one arm and one leg. Bonus points if you can show off your dual citizenship with Canadian and U.S. passports.
Feng Shui Floodplains – Wear all blue to evoke the idea of a river. If you can, make your arms green to look like moving and changing riverbanks and floodplains. Verrrry carefully, in the most harmonious way possible, stick magazine cut outs of furniture around your body. You will feel absolutely fabulous in this knock-off designer floodplain!
