In the summer of 2017, I met Judith Li on the train from Portland to Seattle. I was concluding my west coast "grand tour," which began in Los Angeles. There were no seats in the Cafe Car, so I asked Judy if I could join her at her table. I learned that she is a "semi-retired" Associate Professor in Fisheries and Wildlife at Oregon State University, with a keen interest in the intersections of art and science. When I told her I was an environmental artist a lively conversation ensued. Judy told me about the Long-Term Ecological Reflections Program at HJ Andrews Experimental Forest, which offers residencies to writers and artists. She encouraged me to apply. We exchanged emails before saying our goodbyes.

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The result of that chance encounter led to my residency, thanks to Judy and the generosity of Fred Swanson, a retired Forest Service scientist who has studied the Andrews Forest for 40 years. I recently spent two weeks at the Andrews. On these pages are some of my resulting artworks, thinking, and photographs of this magical place.

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Site Photos & Studies

Journal Excerpts

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Special thanks to Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council for professional development support from the Artist Opportunity Grant program. The Long-Term Ecological Reflections program is a collaboration among the Spring Creek Project, Oregon State University; the Andrews Forest Long-Term Ecological Research program; and the US Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station.