Created during my residency at BigCi in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Forest Repair began as a plan to craft site-specific, biodegradable sculptures, leave them to weather in the forest, and document their transformations over time. Upon arrival, I learned that nothing could remain on-site after my departure, so the work became a prototype for a future project.

The land surrounding BigCi—like my home in Northern California—has endured catastrophic wildfires. The resilience of the gum trees struck me: many burned hollow at the core yet still sustaining vibrant canopies. In response, I used a 3D pen to create a sculptural “prosthetic” as a gesture toward wholeness.

A trail camera documented the form placed within a gum tree. Within days, a powerful windstorm blew it free, and over the next two weeks, the camera recorded the change from multiple angles, capturing shifting light, passing humans, and even a curious wood duck.

More than an act of repair, Forest Repair is an offering of presence and attention — a small poetic gesture toward the ongoing life of a recovering forest. The project is now expanding to multiple fire-impacted and old-growth landscapes in Northern California, where biodegradable forms will be placed within fire-hollowed trees and documented over time through Wi-Fi–enabled trail cameras and guided on-site encounters.