As Homo sapiens proliferate around the globe, other species are projected to decline, diminishing the planet’s biodiversity and paving the way for a sixth mass extinction event. Field Guide to the Flowers That Are Still Here is an art project and activist statement premised on an extreme loss of biodiversity anticipated for the coming decades. The installation – a reworking of a child hood nature guide to American Wildflowers, is a sample of what future “nature guides” might become in a world with declining bird, mammal, fish, and plant diversity. Bold text is printed over vintage wildflower illustrations, announcing their crucial role in creating habitat for pollinators and other insects. The public is urged to see what is actually happening in the world of wildflowers take action to reverse the patterns of human-generated destruction that threaten these species to the point of extinction. Recognizing and fostering the links between human and animal environments helps the public identify the complex cycles that tie together different species and systems that, in time, can be planned in a way that enables both to exist.
