We All Fall Down: Artists Respond to the Emerald Ash Borer
Since the emerald ash borer arrived in the United States in the midwest in 2002, it has rapidly decimated many forests, resulting in the death of millions of ash trees. With a 99% kill rate, it will sweep through the area like a wave and wipe out all of Philadelphia’s ash trees in the next 5-10 years. The emerald ash borer and its distinctive D-shaped bore hole was first seen at the Schuylkill Center in Summer 2018, and with some areas of the Schuylkill Center property having as much as 50% of its canopy composed of ash trees, the ash borer will have a significant impact on our ecosystem.
Wood from impacted ash trees was made available to six artists to create new art works for the Schuylkill Center’s gallery and trails that call attention to and educate about the emerald ash borer and other threats to Philadelphia’s trees. We All Fall Down: Artists Respond to the Emerald Ash Borer took this unfortunate opportunity to make the impacts of this invasive insect more visible and understandable.
