Old Trees
1990 • Road from San Cristobal to Palenque, Mexico
Stopping at a roadside stand I asked the owner “what is missing?” He couldn’t write, but he pointed to a large tree in his backyard—where he had two scarlet macaws and a small marsupial type animal. He said that this area once was covered with 150-200 year-old trees—now very few are left. He pointed to one large tree in the hillside and said that once the entire hillside was forested—less than 20 years ago…He apologized for not being able to write, but said that with the loss of trees, the birds and animals have also disappeared from this region.
Maya Lin, Global Residency Program
Creative Time / Rockefeller Foundation
Learn about Maya Lin’s fifth and final memorial: a multi-platform science based artwork that presents an ecological history of our world - past, present, and future.
Discover ecological histories and stories of former abundance, loss, and recovery on the map of memory.
Learn how we can reduce our emissions and protect and restore species and habitats – around the world.
See how art can help us rethink the problems we face, and give us hope that each one of us can make a difference.
Help make a global memorial something personal and close to home. Share your stories of the natural world.