The ForestSong art project investigates grief, beauty, and interconnection; shares images and science; invokes the sacred; bears witness; and invites action. The project began in early 2020, during pandemic isolation, when I felt moved to respond to the overwhelming uncertainty and sadness of our Anthropocene era, and to participate in the international EXTRACTION art movement. To address despair over racial, social, and sexual inequities; denial of science; gun violence; fake news; frightening politics; worldwide habitat destruction and species extinction; catastrophic wildfire; and climate change; I decided to delve into overwhelm by investigating the personal and doable. While my art practice had consistently embraced biophilic experiences in forests, I began to address solastalgia—the heartache of witnessing environmental damage and habitat loss—through an art process. To enable my access and ability to work in wildland forests, I use a lightweight folding easel and chose materials that all fit into a pack, along with everything else I need to spend hours, days, or weeks in remote forests. While out there, I sit on the ground, and draw and paint with black and white ink and paint, found wildfire charcoal, and tree sap on Japanese kozo paper. To weave contemporary forest science into my work, I interview scientists about topics including climate change, tree mortality, fungal networks, catastrophic megafires, and the future of Western forests. To share information, inspire action, and bear witness, each prayer flag incorporates a concept of forest ecology, suggests a positive action, and has a title evoking solastalgia and/or biophilia. When I enter a forest, I express gratitude to all lifeforms who dwell there, I envision my energies and those of the forest entwining within my work, and I invoke hope that what I do may be towards the protection of all forest beings. While painting, I invite the full spectrum of emotions to arise, gazing steadfastly into sadness and reveling in delight. I pause regularly to take in the beauty, the horror, and the mystery. I often cry. Paradoxically, the more I allow grief and despair into my being, the more I experience hope and find energy to take action. As I continue to share and expand the ForestSong process through exhibitions, community events, teaching, and presentations, I find the process is empowering to others, too. Having time to sink deeply into this process over time in Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Park forests has deeply inspired me and continues to energize me to paint, and share creativity and science in wildfire-impacted communities through the ForestSong project. I am so grateful!

Approved