Understory

My family was impacted by the devastating 2018 Camp Fire, in Butte County, CA. In my professional career, I work at a firm that focuses on sustainability. I am surrounded by the very real effects of climate change in every facet of my life. We all are. I'm just not sure we're allowing ourselves to deal with it. I can't stop thinking about climate change.

The headlines from the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) were published on August 9th, 2021 and are essentially a wakeup call and a "code red for humanity." The IPCC report further confirms what we already know. We need a sense of urgency.

Interactions among people, their environment, and climate change all affect the future of our planet. I'm interested in understanding how people perceive, experience, and understand the natural environment and the eventual impact to policy and resource management decisions. Another thought that comes to mind is whether policies intended to improve carbon sequestration could result in inequitable outcomes for different communities. Who will end up on top and who will end up on the losing end?

All of this is what I'm exploring in my newest work. I'm inspired by a piece of music composed by Ezio Bosso, Symphony No. 2 “Under the Trees’ Voices.” The music evokes a sense of the magnitude and power of nature. Even though we, as human individuals, are so small compared to nature, we are having an outsized and devastating impact. The music is the guide for my piece. At times, it is frantic. The movements include a sense of urgency as a reflection of where we are with regard to climate change. At times the music is wandering and circular, a metaphor for being lost in the inevitable descent of our ecosystem, but eventually culminates in a powerful crescendo that inspires a sense of action and victory. I explore the unpredictability, precarious balance, and delicate beauty of the forest understory.