JBS Wetland Guardian
In November 2024 we were commissioned by John Bunker Sands Wetland Center to make and photograph an ephemeral environmental sculpture in the vast man-made wetland near Dallas, Texas.
This 2000 acre wetland is a unique private/public partnership for ecological design and education. We were there to make an inspirational ephemeral sculpture and photograph it for a special event - Wings Over the Wetland, at which the supporters of the wetland center came together to participate in a vision for nature, conservation and a sustainable future.
Along with volunteer helpers, we collected and prepared more than 800 cattail (raupo) stems from the wetland to create a two metre ephemeral sculpture of a guardian figure.
We chose the location for the installation to combine the full moon and the sculpture’s reflection in the calm water. The last warm rays of the sunset illuminate the importance of the fact that at this time of earth’s meta-crisis, we must all become guardians of the earth if we are to prevent ecological and social collapse.
2026 Postscript:
At the same time as we were creating and presenting JBS Wetland Guardian in Dallas Texas Donald Trump was elected as President of USA. In the short time since his Republican administration havoc has been wrought on the world’s attempts to mitigate the ecological climate crisis by pulling out of the Paris climate agreement. Trump has cancelled many environmental initiatives and protections. Banning the term “climate change” he ignores scientific consensus and supports endless economic growth and fossil fuels which are the cause of climate change.
Our working process
