Edgelands

Edgelands is an exploration of the ecological and aesthetic importance of the riparian zones of the Snake River Corridor. The land bordering each bank of the river is a uniting space, essential for its inhabitants and distinct from its surrounding landscape. Largely taking place in cottonwood forests, wetlands take shape of temporary ponds, irrigation channels, and meanderings from the river. These crucial lands are subject to much change in the coming years due to residential development, interruptions to natural flood cycles through damming, and levies. Traces of elk and moose are seen in elegantly matted down swaths of grass, fallen nests denote migratory birds. This transitory space is critical for most wildlife at some point in their life cycle, and I examine it closely in this work.