ABSTRACT
This chapter illustrates the value of a democratic, collaborative process for effectively realizing interdisciplinary science-communication projects. To do so, this chapter describes the coequal design and development by an artist/designer and an ecologist of Hemlock Hospice, a 1,500-meter-long art-based, site-specific interpretive trail at Harvard University’s Harvard Forest. At one level, Hemlock Hospice described the ongoing demise of the eastern hemlock tree caused by a tiny aphid-like insect, the hemlock woolly adelgid. More broadly, Hemlock Hospice addressed issues of climate change, human impact, and the future of the world’s forests. This case study highlights gains realized from embedding artists and designers in an active scientific research site while also including scientists as full partners in designing and producing mission-driven artwork. It further illuminates challenges of democratizing art/science collaborations, including different modes of communication among participants; appropriate levels of financial support; different measures of scientific and artistic success; and creating opportunities for direct action.
