Educators and artists, Zakary Zide, the science program manager at the Oakland Museum, and Andree Thompson, a Laney College art professor, developed a unique course called "Eco-Art."

Created by students from Laney College and Metwest High School, the exhibit includes various sculptures, installations and artworks.

The exhibit "Bio-Logic" is the visual "final exam" that the students in this course are sharing with anyone who wishes to learn about the impact of the disposal of personal waste. The exhibit, which opened Dec. 14, runs through April 1.

Zide, also a sculptor and the Earthdance Film Festival Director, took students of "Bio-Logic" on a backpacking trip to the Trinity Alps. Thompson taught the students basic visual art principles and the history of environmental art.

The roster of eco-artists include 11 Metwest High School and nine Laney College students: Ana Villalobos, Jovan Parham, Lean Ly, Joshua Ikeda-Nash, Alexis Garcia, Karina Soto, Don Johnson, Claire Starks, Troy Carter, Olifer Jennings, Melissa Bolger, Lane Barringer, Rozita Fogelman, Irene Nzinga Pace, Bill Lassell, Katie Barroso, Gina Telcocci, Alida Line and John DeVenezia.

The exhibit reflects the students' concerns about many of today's most pressing environmental issues: water quality, global warning, the importance of recycling, avoiding pesticides and even the use of non-biodegradable diapers.

One "Bio-Logic" student, Melissa Bolger, spent a day each week assisting in the clean up of Lake Merritt and the Estuary. Her contribution to the exhibit, an installation piece, is an instructional spice rack.

Using more than 50 Mason jars, she displays within each jar some of the alarming and dangerous discarded items that pose a serious danger to the ecology and the wildlife inhabitants of Lake Merritt and the Estuary.

Hypodermic needles, toothbrushes, lighters and tennis balls were some of the dangerous debris that was found.

Her Mason jars, filled with the various, careless and harmful human trash, "shows a history about our culture, our consumption and waste," Bolger said.

"We as a community need to become aware of the complications of overconsumption by taking responsibility and asking the question, 'Where does your trash and litter go?'" she asked.

"Bio-Logic" is a preface for "Earth Dance", an environmental film festival sponsored by the Oakland Museum. The 2006 Earth Dance Short-Attention-Span Environmental Film Festival will premiere at the museum on April 7.

For more information, visit www.earthdancefilms.com or call 510-701-4019.