Hemlock Hospice - Harvard Forest Art Installation

I’m writing today to introduce you to Hemlock Hospice, a year-long, outdoor, site-specific sculpture installation and accompanying indoor art exhibition by David Buckley Borden in collaboration with Aaron M. Ellison, opening at Harvard University’s Harvard Forest and in its Fisher Museum on Saturday, October 7. A press release and information about the opening reception are attached.

Hemlock Hospice tells the story of the ongoing demise of the eastern hemlock tree at the hands (and mouth) of a tiny aphid-like insect, the hemlock wooly adelgid.Hemlock Hospice contextualizes hemlock decline in the broader context of climate change, local effects of our global economy on the natural world, and environmental impacts of our consumer culture.

Hemlock Hospice blends science, art, and design to [1] respect eastern hemlock and its ecological role as a foundation forest species; [2] promote an understanding of the adelgid; and [3] encourage empathetic conversations among all the sustainers of and caregivers for our forests—ecologists and artists, foresters and journalists, naturalists and citizens—while fostering social cohesion around ecological issues. 

The Hemlock Hospice trail of thirteen sculptures takes visitors through the Harvard Forest on an up-close-and-personal journey of species loss. Visitors will learn why the trees are dying, and see what the future will look like when hemlock disappears from our forests in the next decade.

If you would like to join the conversation and help spread the word about how individuals and communities can work together to play an active role in preserving our environment, please contact us for more details or to set up an interview with David or Aaron.