Birds are more than creatures of beauty and intelligence—they are essential to our ecosystems. As pollinators, seed dispersers, predators, and scavengers, they help maintain ecological balance. Yet a sobering 2019 Science magazine report revealed a devastating trend: the total population of birds in North America has declined by nearly three billion since 1970 due to climate change, habitat loss, pesticide use, and urbanization.

"Divergence of Birds" is an interdisciplinary conceptual project that uses socially-engaged art to address this loss and the environmental impacts of climate change and habitat destruction on species extinction. Through site-specific installations, a dedicated website, and interactive workshops, the project bridges science and art, translating climate data into a call to action.

The project draws inspiration from two key texts: the National Audubon Society’s "Birds and Climate Change Report," which warns that by 2080, climate change will disrupt the habitats of over half of North American bird species, and Philip K. Dick’s 1968 dystopian story "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?," which envisions a future where artificial animals are indistinguishable from real ones.

For this project, I photograph nearly 400 paper cutouts of climate- threatened birds in their natural habitats across North America, posing a stark question: Without urgent conservation, will only facsimiles remain?

At first glance, the birds in my images appear real, but closer scrutiny reveals them as illusions—photos within photos, mirroring the vanishing act of their living counterparts. By unsettling the casual gaze, "Divergence of Birds" challenges assumptions about nature photography, compelling viewers to look more closely and fostering a deeper awareness of our connection to wildlife and the urgent need to protect it.

I have been working on Divergence of Birds for over seven years and am now approaching its completion. Last fall, I launched its expansive dedicated website (DivergenceOfBirds.org) which currently has over sixty-five pages. In the coming months, I plan to finish photographing the cutouts. A yearlong teaching sabbatical beginning in September will allow me to focus on creating a book of this work. As the Environmental Protection Agency is being gutted, conservation rulings rolled back, and bird populations declining at an alarming rate (one in four), raising awareness and inspiring action has never been more urgent. Attending the Review Santa Fe Portfolios would enable me to potentially expand the project’s reach, connecting it with new audiences, collaborators, and institutions that can further its impact.

Archival inkjet prints + translucent silk prints + paper cutouts