Western North Carolina (WNC) is home to two species of hemlock trees: the eastern hemlock, Tsuga canadensis, and the Carolina hemlock, Tsuga caroliniana. Both species have been detrimentally affected by the invasive hemlock wooly adelgid, Adelges tsugae, which is native to Asia. Many hemlocks in WNC have died or will be dead within the next few years, which will have adverse effects on local forests. My personal relationship with hemlocks extends back to my childhood. During a rainstorm the best place to stay dry was under one of these magnificent trees, where the thick canopy of green needles allowed a little rain or even light to reach the ground. Today, it would be hard if not impossible to find a hemlock healthy enough to serve as any shelter. As a scientist and artist I wanted to document the grandeur of these trees before they disappear from the forests and our everyday consciousness. Science and art are analogous in that both are human constructs we use to define ourselves and the world around us. I photographed hemlocks in the South Toe Valley of Yancey County, NC where I grew up, as this area and these trees have the greatest meaning to me. My photographs depict hemlock trees with the goal of capturing their grandeur and biological intricacy. I want my photographs to serve as both a memory of these species and a lesson reflecting on their loss.
