Artist and Soil Scientist Zoe Caron Embraces the Intersection of Art and the Natural World

Crowdfunding Campaign Underway for New Outdoor Classroom Mural  -By Christine Young, Volunteer Blogger-

Zoe Caron’s path as an artist began before she could verbalize her interests, as she recalls videos of herself finger painting when she was barely a year old. Raised by parents who both have careers in biology, it’s also no wonder she quickly developed enthusiasm toward the natural world.

Today, Zoe has embraced the marriage of both interests, finding her true calling as a professional artist and a soil scientist. One of her latest works to exemplify how art and nature can intersect is a colorful mural highlighting the local ecosystem here at LEAF Urban Farm in Fremont. Driven by volunteers, LEAF is all about environmental education and regenerative gardening, and the mural plays an important role in supporting our mission.

Depicting the region’s native birds, plants, and other creatures, the mural graces one side of a storage container that will be part of an outdoor classroom. Besides the obvious depictions, a closer examination of the mural can reveal some nice “Easter eggs.” The mural was painted by 41 volunteers over about four months. Most of them had never painted before, Zoe said, noting that they were pleased to be part of creating something that people will hopefully see for decades to come.

Crowdfunding Underway for Second Mural LEAF is currently crowdfunding a second mural that Zoe is excited to design around the theme of soil microbes. Smaller than what the naked eye can see, microbes in the soil represent an expansive world of beneficial bugs and creatures that helps to keep the soil productive for an array of healthy plants.

Canvas of second mural.

The second mural will be developed following the same process as used in the first: Zoe will create the design, lead other artists to apply the line art on the side of a 40-foot shipping container, and mix the paint colors. Then, volunteers will apply the colors following a paint-by-numbers approach.

“I wanted the murals to be an opportunity for people to get to know their neighbors and express creativity working on a larger project,” Zoe noted. “Art is a fantastic tool to bring people together. You don’t have to share a language to paint together. This is really meaningful because art can be seen as a solitary endeavor. I much prefer projects that engage more people in the community in their creation.”

Donations of any size to support the second mural are appreciated. LEAF will spend the funds raised on Zoe’s labor, materials, and community engagement workshops with volunteer painters. Aside from the crowdfunding page, contributions will also be accepted at Fremont’s upcoming Earth Day Fair. 

Donate Now

A Fruitful Collaboration Takes Root Zoe’s connection with LEAF began in late 2021, when she was introduced to LEAF’s president, Elaine. From there, the relationship blossomed through a series of projects. It’s an ideal fit for someone who has long championed environmental education and the role of art in this endeavor.

With her parents’ biology careers, Zoe has had plenty of exposure to the natural world, as well as a better understanding of it. “I love the idea of nature being a messy web of interactions,” she noted. 

Aside from finger painting, Zoe also pointed out that she has been drawing since the age of 1. With her parents’ continued encouragement, she took fundamental art classes as a child and, later on, learned more from a local watercolorist. When she was a teen, Zoe illustrated diagrams for her dad’s scientific papers. This marked the first time that she considered science illustration as a potential career. “It was very meaningful to me, the idea that people could better understand concepts based on a picture I made,” she said. 

Once at UC Berkeley, Zoe leaned in on the science side, earning B.S. and B.A. degrees in plant biology and integrative biology, respectively. After college, she worked in biotech, though she knew she’d eventually want to pursue a career involving science education. 

Educating Through Art and Science  Along the way, Zoe continued to pursue her artistic endeavors. The two worlds came together when the biotech company where she was working provided hallway space for her to install her artwork. Eventually, art became a more sustainable endeavor, allowing Zoe to become an artist full time over the past year. She specializes in biology-inspired pieces in pen and pencil, watercolor, and digital media. 

Even though art is her primary profession, science remains a steady presence in Zoe’s life. She currently teaches soil science part time at Las Positas Community College in Livermore. As a soil scientist, Zoe teaches students how to examine the community of organisms that live in the soil—from bacteria and fungi to earthworms—to better understand the proper balance required for good soil health. Her expertise aligns well with the regenerative gardening mission of LEAF, which is all about cycling nutrients through the soil so that the same soil can be reused for planting without any synthetic chemicals. 

Meet the Artist at Fremont’s Earth Day Festival

You’ll have a chance to meet Zoe and learn more about LEAF at Fremont’s Earth Day Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 19, at the Downtown Event Center and Plaza. LEAF and Washington Health are teaming up with the City of Fremont to host the fair, which celebrates the 55th anniversary of Earth Day.