What Exactly is Environmental Art?

As I explore the world of environmental education and art I realized that a brief explanation of what exactly is environmental art is.  The Green Museum or greenmuseum.org is my go-to website for everything to do with environmental art.  The Green Museum is an online museum made up of other environmental artists that noticed the challenges other non-profit groups, artists, were having in finding a place to discuss their art and the issues they were addressing.  Green Museum is more than an online place to find environmental artists it is also a great tool for educators.  The site also gives a great explanation of what is environmental art.  So without any further ado here it is...

In a broad sense of the term environmental art is art that helps us build a relationship with the natural world around us.  Some art is temporary and will not last forever, so all that remains are the photographs of when the work existed.  Other works are built for specific sites, or designed with scientists and engineers.  According to Green Museum it also: 

• "Informs and interprets nature and its processes, or educates us about environmental problems
• Is concerned with environmental forces and materials, creating artworks affected or powered by wind, water, lightning, even earthquakes
• Re-envisions our relationship to nature, proposing new ways for us to co-exist with our environment
• Reclaims and re-mediates damaged environments, restoring ecosystems in artistic and often aesthetic ways"

GreenMuseum

Now when I look at the different artists that focus on environmental issues I try to see where they fit into this definition.