The Tree Project

Oak savannah, once the most dominant habitat type in southern Wisconsin, is now considered one of the most threatened habitats in the world. Much of the remaining oak savanna, brushy and overgrown, is on private land throughout the state. Conservationists are eager to restore and conserve the remnants of this important habitat before it disappears completely.

Driving through southern Wisconsin's farmland, one will often see a lone oak in a field, a single tree amid the corn or alfalfa. These are the last remnants of a once wide-reaching natural habitat.

The Document and Artifacts

Before the Oak Savannah disappears forever in the wake of progress, it is my goal to document as many of these majestic trees as possible. The document will consist of many of the following elements:

.:	Digital video of the tree (as it stands in the landscape, close up of notable features and textures, moving in the wind, etc.)
.:	Digital photographs of the tree (in the landscape, close up)
.:	Digital audio recordings of the tree (its leaves rustling, branches clattering and trunk creaking in the wind)
.:	Digital audio and/or video recollections of the tree from the individuals who have enjoyed it over the years
.:	GPS coordinates of the location where the south side of the tree meets the earth
.:	An artifact from the tree (a fallen branch, acorn or leaf)

The Installation

The tree installation will combine interpretive history of Wisconsin's Oak Savannah with documentary artifacts of the remaining oaks.

The gallery will have dark green and brown walls; dimly lit. Ambient sound of leaves rustling in the wind will be heard faintly throughout the space. As the viewers enter, they will be greeted by a large map of Wisconsin, plotting the range of the Oak Savannha habitat prior to white settlers arriving in North America. A brief description of the Oak Savannah and its place in the natural ecosystem of North America will accompany the map.

Following a linear progression, a series of six to eight maps will show, through time, the shrinking Oak Savannah until present day. Each map will be accompanied by a statement indicating the effects of the shrinking habitat on the environment over time, and the impact upon the ecosystem.

The final map will plot, using GPS data, the locations of the oak trees documented throughout the rest of the space, accompanied by a placard about the long term cumulative effects of the changes in the habitat and ecosystem, as well as brief notes about restoration efforts and the goals of those efforts.

In the main gallery space tree data will be on display for viewers to explore. 4" LCD panels will hang on the wall with headphones, each viewing/listening station looping the digital media document of a specific tree. Mounted on the wall above the viewing/listening station will be the acrylic box containing the physical artifact. Each combination of documents and artifcats will be accompnaied by a placard indicating the GPS coordinates of the tree, the owner of the land upon which the tree grows, and the approximate 'birth year' of the tree. Each viewing/listening station and its accompanying document/artifact will be illuminated by a single halogen bulb shining down from near vertical. This will be the only illumination (other than the LCD panels) in the space.

By introducing the installation with a visual depiction of the range of the Savannah and its subsequent demise, and by creating a document of the reamaining trees still standing today, I hope to instill in the visitor a sense of loss and an awareness of the impact that continued, irresponsible development will have on the environment in which we all must live.

For more information, or to contribute to the project, e-mail Dan Wilson.