When not working as a Space Station Research Scientist with NASA, Leslie creates sustainable art hand-stitched and layered paper art pieces out of recycled materials. Much of the focus of her artwork captures and portrays the botanical details and beauty of plants and macro details of our natural world.
During the 2021 Roadless Rule commenting period, Leslie was inspired to create artwork that she used on social media to raise awareness and recruit new advocates to voice their support for environmental protections on the Tongass! We invited Leslie and her husband Victor, a musician, to come and visit us at Sea Pony Farm and in Sitka and connect her first hand to the old growth forests, understory plant life, and the communities of Southeast Alaska that she is fearlessly advocating for.
Since her experience during 2022, Leslie has been continuing to create art pieces and share the story of the Tongass as a climate forest and its significant to local communities and the planet.
Check it out Leslie's amazing work on her website or on instagram @leslieespinoart, where she also shares some awesome videos of her process and some from her experiences in the Tongass!
Below is the original piece she created, as well as a piece inspired by her time spent at Sea Pony Farm.
