I
moved to NYC from a small town in Rhode Island when I was 19 and traveled
often to unique places in the world courtesy of Scandinavian Airlines, my employer. It was in Norway that my first deeper insights into nature and the environment occurred, because in Norway, nature is cherished and protected. In the mid-90s there were troubles in the Pacific Northwest, where hillsides became bare from clear-cuts and old growth forests almost disappeared. My first works exploring land, logging and development were game boards, which I used to raise questions like what is the value of trees and land in our communities, and what is the cost of staying on the current path. Today there is a greater interest and respect for Citizen Science. Local businesses, individuals and families volunteer at our wildlife refuges to improve habitats of birds and animals, protect and preserve native plants, and to assist staff in monitoring water quality and removing invasive species. As our natural environments become more cherished and we learn to hold nature sacred, my hope is that we keep better watch and devise new ways of responding to and addressing our environmental and ecological challenges. – Susan Ahlstrom, 2016