During the Pandemic I spent a lot of time with this beautiful tree and developed a connection that has inspired a new body of work. I love to record the transition from Winter to Spring. A few years ago I read that trees have a heartbeat. That has always stuck with me as this tree has become my muse and friend. The past few years since I was home so much I started to notice the stress of climate change on this special tree. It was horrifying to watch the ash fall on the leaves during the CZU fire in Santa Cruz and equally disturbing as these same leaves burn each summer due to unseasonably high temperatures in our coastal town. Each year the blossoms come earlier and because of the drought I’ve had to start watering my tree and hope that it will continue to thrive despite all these stresses. I’m grateful to have developed this special bond with this tree and seeing first hand how humans are impacting the environment makes this work even more important to share. I think the more that humans connect with nature the better chance we have of turning around the climate shifts. Our lives are entwined with nature and what could be more magical than a tree taking my breath and turning it into oxygen!