Originally, I created this page to raise money to preserve my grandfather’s land, which had laid undeveloped for 80+ years in scenic central Colorado. Sadly, I was quickly outbid before I could raise enough funds, so the land was purchased by someone else.
My grandfather’s love of nature is still strong within me, so I continue to do my part in conserving native habitat wherever I can. I have been actively working to convert my suburban Ohio property to native wildlife habitat, including removing invasive trees and shrubs to replace them with pollinator plants and native fruit trees. Currently I am experimenting with starting native flowers, trees, and shrubs from seed through winter sowing.
Inspired by my grandfather
My grandfather originally bought a 7 acre plot in the mountains for his beloved wife, but they made the heartfelt decision to raise their grandchild over retiring to the aspens. I was not successfully able to buy this land when it came up for sale after his death, but I hope to conserve land in this ecosystem in the future when I am able. Native habitats deserve our utmost protection and care in the face of advancing development.
Above image: My base drawing for a screenprint I am making of my grandfather’s original parcel. I anticipate I will make an edition of at least 20 prints, and will sell or auction these prints to raise funds. This print has been placed on hold during the pandemic, as it requires access to a screenprinting laboratory with a darkroom for light-sensitive screen inks.
My long term goals for any parcel(s) I purchase are to keep them wild, introduce more native plants for pollinators, and potentially build a single very small self-sustained shelter for overnight trips (think: solar powered and rain water collection). In the far future, this may be viable as a home base for artist residencies, visiting birders and naturalists, etc, but that will only be pursued if it can be done with minimal disturbance to the natural ecosystem.