Pino, a Habitat Tree
Pino, a Habitat Tree (2021)
Artists: Janet Austin and Emily Moorhead-Wallace
Media: Corten steel, natural nesting materials, wood blocks
Dimensions: 60” H x 20” W x 15” D
Location: Ravenswood and Sunnyside, Chicago, IL
Artists Janet Austin and Emily Moorhead-Wallace combine their interests to focus on the theme of humans supporting nature.
This sculpture consists of a Corten steel tree that encapsulates nesting cavities which are filled with non-treated woods, dried plants, and other eco-friendly materials. The main purpose of this project is to create an interactive sculpture that functions as a pollinator habitat and artwork thereby joining art and science. The artwork is intended to meet the optimal dwelling needs of indigenous pollinators, solitary bees, and other insects.
Annual maintenance is important for the bees:
Remove all of the past year's nesting material.
Check for any bee cocoons and remove and clean them to store over the winter.
Replace the old nesting material with new.
Information on creating and maintaining bee and pollinator habitats can be found at:
https://www.usda.gov/pollinators
https://www.homeorchardeducationcenter.org/arboretum-blog/learn-to-clean-mason-bees
