RESEARCH JOURNAL
August 7th 2020 -
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Pawnee National Grassland, Colorado, August 1st 2020
The prairie is never far from my mind these days. In honor of that I am working on a new project of flags that incorporate printmaking and quilting/applique techniques to represent the different animals of the Great Plains. I have completed two prototypes: a Black-footed Ferret and a Greater Prairie Chicken. I have carved another lino block of a Burrowing Owl and am working on the flag design. This project is meant to remind us of the life that relies on our prairie conservation efforts. The Black-footed Ferret until very recently was considered extinct in the wild, thanks to some dedicated breeding and reintroduction programs we are seeing a comeback of these wonderful animals. The Greater Prairie Chicken has a “vulnerable” conservation status although they are facing extinction in some of the places where they are found, here in Colorado they are slowly but surely making a comeback but they are certainly in a precarious situation. The Burrowing Owl is another vulnerable species that relies on Prairie Dog towns for their burrows but due to farming, ranching and other human development they are also certainly at risk. I have plans to represent Prairie Dogs, Prairie Rattlesnakes, Mountain Plover, Plains Bison, Swift Fox, Sandhill Crane, and the Whooping Crane just to name a few. I am hoping to continue this project for quite some time and perhaps branch out into other ecosystems of Colorado.
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The prairie is never far from my mind these days. In honor of that I am working on a new project of flags that incorporate printmaking and quilting/applique techniques to represent the different animals of the Great Plains. I have completed two prototypes: a Black-footed Ferret and a Greater Prairie Chicken. I have carved another lino block of a Burrowing Owl and am working on the flag design. This project is meant to remind us of the life that relies on our prairie conservation efforts. The Black-footed Ferret until very recently was considered extinct in the wild, thanks to some dedicated breeding and reintroduction programs we are seeing a comeback of these wonderful animals. The Greater Prairie Chicken has a “vulnerable” conservation status although they are facing extinction in some of the places where they are found, here in Colorado they are slowly but surely making a comeback but they are certainly in a precarious situation. The Burrowing Owl is another vulnerable species that relies on Prairie Dog towns for their burrows but due to farming, ranching and other human development they are also certainly at risk. I have plans to represent Prairie Dogs, Prairie Rattlesnakes, Mountain Plover, Plains Bison, Swift Fox, Sandhill Crane, and the Whooping Crane just to name a few. I am hoping to continue this project for quite some time and perhaps branch out into other ecosystems of Colorado.
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