Quiet Rooms - Determination

My second submission to MAHI: Quiet Rooms was…

Determination

The Plains Cottonwood [Populus sargentii] is endangered in Alberta.  It is found only in riparian habitats along prairie rivers and coulees.  The fluffy seeds that give the tree its name are borne in June and will only germinate in the wet mud of the seasonal spring flood.  Man’s damming of the rivers and attempts to control flooding have impacted the survival of these majestic trees.  Some of the oldest surviving trees are estimated to approach 300 years of age, and would have been saplings at the time that the white man first arrived in Western Canada.  These trees have the unique ability to survive drought conditions.  Their thick furrowed bark and heavy waxy leaves resist moisture loss.  And, they are able to cut off the flow of moisture to their outer branches and reserve it for the survival of the main trunk of the tree.  To my mind these trees exhibit a character and determination unlike any other.  Their gnarled twisted shapes stand as a testament to their strength and perseverance.  Some prominent and stately, others beaten down and fighting to survive, they project an attitude and an emotion that I have attempted to capture in my images.

I will have to allow the jury time to review my submissions along with the over 40 others that they had received by this afternoon.  In the coming weeks I hope to find out if any of my work is selected for purchase and display.