I am beaver, I am
moth, I am moon

an all-natural, collaborative, ecosystem altar installation

Up now till July 2020 at Presence Studio on Cornwall Avenue in Downtown Bellingham, WA.

Imbued with love, magic, and gratitude, this hand-built ecosystem altar is comprised of a beaver dam, light sculptures of beaver, moth, and moon, water and air. It was constructed as a sacred space to honor and give thanks; to recognize and embrace our connection to All That Is. This collaborative piece was built under the direction of Mouse Bird Studios and Emma Parkinson with help from Kintla Wheeler, Greg Estes (Ravenheart Carver), Julie McPherson, and Shira Smason-Marcus (Knotty x Nature). Mouse Bird Studios was responsible for the concept, paper-making, resource foraging, the air, water, moon, and beaver skull.

This work is made entirely from natural materials: assorted handmade papers, cotton, hemp, flax, mulberry, willow, maple, cottonwood, alder, sinew, native wildflower seeds, and other gifts of the earth. We journeyed into beaver land in South Lake Samish and the Southfork of the Nooksack River to collect much of the wood. Beaver-chewed sticks were graciously gifted by locals of the land.

The 3-D light sculptures of moth and the skull of beaver were the catalysts for our collaborative installation which creates a story of interrelation. These nocturnal beings experience their lives by the light of the moon. The moon acts as a synchronizing cue; of organisms, of environmental frameworks, and that it’s time to use night vision! Just as the moon is highly involved in the lives of the beaver and the moth, humans have been honoring the moon since we could look up at the sky to see our closest celestial neighbor. We feel that these three entities have a significant connection to each other, ecosystems, humans, and the world.

The beaver, the moth, and the moon exemplify an important message: we are all made of the same dirt and dust. With that in mind, we created an installation with the intention that the materials, subject matter, and composition synthesize to bring a sense of oneness. Here stands a hand-built ecosystem that dances the beauty and diversity of life. Energy moves through the whole system of breath and death; we are all a part of this system and here to help one another. We encourage you to take part in this story that dissolves the illusion of separation from nature: embody Beaver, embody Moth, embody Moon.