ForestSong is an art project to investigate grief, beauty, and interconnection; share images, creative activities, and science; invoke the sacred; bear witness; and invite action. ForestSong Mission Statement Share creative processes with all ages & abilities to acknowledge and process individual and collective despair and anxiety due to wildfire and forest habitat degradation and loss (solastalgia). Share creative processes with all ages & abilities to acknowledge and process individual and collective delight about our access to and enjoyment of forests (biophilia). Provide contemporary scientific information about forests, with a focus on wildfire, climate change, why we have these problems, and potential solutions. Suggest actionable steps we can all take, both individually and collectively, to have a more positive impact on our local and global environments, with a focus on wildfire preparedness and environmental stewardship practices for western forests. Gather communities together to acknowledge loss, envision a better future, and celebrate forests! In 2024 the ForestSong project received a California Creative Corps grant, funded by the California Arts Council, to share art, creative activities, forest ecology, and wildfire preparedness information through exhibitions and events in El Dorado and Alpine County communities (west slope Sierra Nevada) impacted by wildfire. These more public aspects of the ForestSong project are fueled by my ongoing personal exploration, study, and creative work in forests adjacent to the Yosemite and Sequoia Field Stations. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to return to the same locations over and over, painting onsite in both burned and unburned forests within and near each park. Repeated visits over time allow me to witness forest changes and use art processes to document the physical and emotional shifts unique to our Anthropocene era. Working deeply and contemplatively in some of the world’s most diverse and beautiful coniferous forests, here in our Sierra Nevada, continues to spark my mission to share the power of creativity to process joy and sadness, the capacity of science to deepen awareness and appreciation, and the inspiration that arises through sharing art and science with others. More about ForestSong: https://www.andiethrams.com/forest-song-story

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