POTSDAM -- “Our Lands, Our Waterways: Art as Conservation, Preservation, Appreciation” exhibit opens Friday, Dec. 4 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the St. Lawrence County Arts Gallery, 18 Elm St.

This solo exhibit features original renderings of botanicals, fish, and birds by Judith Utter of Canton. Utter draws inspiration from streams, lakes, rivers and mountains of the Adirondacks and St. Lawrence River regions.

She works primarily in watercolors, sometimes incorporating colored pencils, pen and ink, and acrylics.

As an artist concerned about the environment and conservation of our natural resources, Utter takes a naturalistic approach to her subjects emphasizing detail, realism and beauty. Whenever possible, she uses actual specimens as part of her reference materials to capture botanicals, fish, and birds as accurately as possible.

For more about Utter’s work, visit her website at judithutter.com.

Visitors can learn about conservation by listening to a presentation from 6:30 to 7 p.m., St. Lawrence Land Trust Board President Tom Langen will talk about "Conservation Easements: What are they? Who benefits and how?"

Langen is a professor at Clarkson and he researches the reasons why landowners initiate conservation easements, and the benefits of easements to the environment, landowners, and communities.

Info: www.stlawlandtrust.org.