I am one of the recipients of the 2024 Fireline Fellowship. The fellowship is part of the Long-Term Ecological Reflections program in the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest in Oregon. You can read about the Fellows here.
As one aspect of my project, I have been recording videos of my ink drawings in the field, which will eventually be turned into 12×12 inch paintings.
My original fire following project was in the oak woodland and chaparral of the California Coast Ranges. While I continue to study these habitats, I have been working hard to expand my focus and personal experience to other western ecosystems after fire.
The Andrews has been the site of intensive and historically critical research for the past seventy-five years, including ground-breaking discoveries in the function and importance of old growth forests. In August 2023, over seventy percent of the Andrews burned in the Lookout Fire. As one of the first Long-Term Ecological Research sites, the forest offers an unprecedented opportunity to understand fire’s effects and integrate them into ongoing research. And the Andrews has also been the site of an innovative art and science collaboration, the Long-Term Ecological Reflections program. As part of this program, the Fireline Fellowship is bringing ten artists, writers, and musicians into the forest to learn from researchers and share their artistic visions with the public.
Robin Lee Carlson 