“Industrial Tourism is a threat to national parks.” [1]
The first patch I made was Off Trail. The Demerit Badge captures a hiking boot in mid-air about to crush a precious flower. On my hikes, I have noticed many cutoffs where people have clearly left the trail and scarred the land. This damages ecosystems and sometimes destroys rare plants and flowers.
Patches are a great influence on my art. My husband and I collect patches on our visits to state and national parks. This is our collection so far.
Image Credit: Demerit Badge: Off Trail, 2019 | Embroidery floss on fabric
[1] Abbey, E. (1988). Desert solitaire. Tucson: University of Arizona Press.