Continued Adventuring + Projects! – Serena Yu BFA Illustration ’27

Would you believe me if I said that my time working with the Dennis Conservation Land Trust just gets awesomer and awesomer?? It is crazy how quickly time has been passing, and I’ve fallen a little behind on these blog posts. Here are some relevant recent happenings:

Tree Coring

A really fascinating project I have been involved with is the coring of rare old growth Atlantic White Cedars growing in the DCLT’s newest conservation area The Plashes. Terracorp members Lydia and Charly walked me through the coring process, which extract cross sections of these trees for scientists to study. These cores are labeled, mounted, sanded, and examined, and tell us all sorts of information on the tree, area, and weather patterns. From the width, texture, and markings we are able to deduce how old the tree is, whether there was a wet or dry season, any disease in the area, and so much more. Cross-examining this information across the trees in various parts of the wetlands provide a broader perspective of the entire history of the area.

Above you can see the tool that is used to core the trees. Under the microscope, on the left are wider rings, which indicate a wet season. On the right, a dry season must have struck, meaning a shorter growth. I helped with the tedious job of counting the rings under the microscope, and our oldest cored tree is around 200 years old! This process is so fascinating, and is a great example of how conservation science preserves more than just species and ecology, but the entire history of the land. I am hoping to illustrate aspects of this process and the old growth White Cedars to be printed on trail signage down the line.

Life Grows at the Farm

Around Not Enough Acres Farm, it is crazy how things have sprung to life in a few short weeks! The garden is thriving after these recent downpours and sunny days. These past weeks, we had our first major harvests from both our veggie garden and flower garden, all of which are harvested by the community and donated to local food banks. Check out the garlic scapes (middle picture)! I’ve never actually heard of them until now, they’re the above-ground ‘fruit’ of the garlic plant. I got a handful to gift to my host family, and they are super delicious.

When I first arrived at the farm, I was greeted by the swooping and soaring of dozens of barn sparrows that live in our barn. Over the weeks, I’ve watched little baby birds appear in the nests adorning the barn ceiling (left). This week, they have left the nest! Sitting on the floor in and around the barn are adorable, clueless fully fledged teenage birds, who stumble around and look lost. At first, seeing them out of the nest, we were worried that they had been disturbed by the 4th of July fireworks or thunderstorms. However, they seem to be doing okay on their own. Unfortunately, as nature goes, there were several baby birds who did not make it past their first flight, and were laying lifeless on the ground beneath their nests. 🙁

Projects and Art Making

Of course, I didn’t come to the DCLT to just frolick around in nature, though I have been doing a lot of that. We have worked out some concrete projects that I have begun planning and working on. While we have been stewing on trail signage this entire time, my immediate first project is developing several illustrated designs to be implemented on shirts and other merchandise, which plays a big role in funding and marketing for the land trust. I am creating one for the farm, and another one for the Plashes property. With these designs, the goal is to encapsulate the diversity of species and how they, and us, interact with one another. I am super excited to complete these (hopefully this week!! so much to do aahh!!!!) and wear them on a shirt. Here are my sketches, research, and planning:

And here are more field sketches + experiments! I may be making some wood-burned signs for the Plashes, so I have been practicing and honing my skills. Stay tuned! More to come! Catch you on the flip!

Diving into the Archives, Organizing Resources for the TEAACH Act, and Creating a Community Gathering – June Ahleman BFA Painting ’27

Hello everyone! It’s been a couple weeks since my last post and I’m excited to share what I’ve been up to since! This past month has been a very exciting mix of researching for the TEAACH Act and Placemaking Project, assisting with cultural programming, and facilitating a community gathering and workshop.

Engaging With The Placemaking Project

Delving into photographs, historical documents and research papers in Evanston ASPA’s archive has been my favorite part of the internship so far! Part of the reason the Placemaking Project is so important is because it’s filling a large gap in historical records of Evanston’s Asian population. The Placemaking Project is a community archive that gathers historical research and oral histories of Evanston’s Asian community. My objective is to organize the materials in the archive so that they are a more searchable and accessible resource either for educators engaging in the TEAACH Act or through posts on instagram. The materials include photos, documents, publications, artifacts and letters. The TEAACH Act (Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History) is an Illinois act passed in 2021 that mandates that all public elementary and high schools in the state teach a unit of curriculum on the history and contributions of Asian Americans.

The following images are from Evanston ASPA’s historical archive related to articles about: The History of Evanston’s Filipino community, Yamei Kin- the first Chinese woman to obtain a medical degree in the United States, and Wong Aloy- one of the first asian residents in Evanston.

Researching and gathering resources for TEAACH curriculums!

In addition to looking through and organizing some of Evanston ASPA’s archive for k-12 curriculums and social media, I’ve continued to research and catalogue resources to support the TEAACH Act. This work includes: finding existing resources and formatting them in a way that is easy for teachers to drop into their curriculums, putting together a booklist for future projects, and considering how our historical archive can be integrated into k-12 curriculums! While there are existing resources, especially some great ones from Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago and Aligned Resources for Educators, our objective is to make it as easy as possible for educators to implement in their curriculums.

Community Gathering/ Workshop

Finally, besides organizing, researching, and categorizing, I have been continuing to staff the exhibition I mentioned in my last blog post and facilitating a community gathering/ workshop in the gallery space! I wanted to present this event primarily as a space for conversation so I chose sun catchers as an activity that can be adapted to different skill and accessibility levels. Most of my work experience is in art education so I was excited to combine what I know with a focus on cultivating community rather than learning a specific set of skills. The workshop was attended by people of all ages from all over the country. I met so many other college students doing internships in Chicago coming from as far as Texas and Arizona! I was super excited to meet new people, hear everyone’s stories and help Evanston ASPA widen its reach!!

After my event I was able to participate in the following workshop- a collaborative book binding project by Regin Igloria, a local artist and founder and director of North Branch Projects. I had a lot of fun talking to other participants and getting back into bookbinding! I really enjoyed hearing about his work as well as his thoughts on teaching as an artist. I definitely learned a lot both from my experience as a facilitator and participant!

Next Few Weeks

In the next few weeks I will continue working with both the TEAACH Act and Placemaking Project. As well as preparing for and facilitating another workshop Evanston ASPA is holding in collaboration with The Japanese Cultural Center of Chicago as a part of their Cranes for Peace initiative!

First Weeks at Homeboy Industries Art Academy – Elsa Fishman BFA Sculpture 2026

Hi all! My first few weeks at Homeboy Industries started with me going to the wrong location, and subsequently being 30 minutes late on my first day. Luckily, when I finally arrived at the Homeboy Art Academy, I was welcomed by the group of “Art Gang” students, a group of 18-24 year olds, checking in that morning with a quick music circle and the daily question. 

Since then, I have been quickly immersed into the welcoming and spirited environment of Homeboy Industries, being greeted by the Homies and Trainees who work there with an incredible sense of warmth. Most of my first week was introductions and getting to know the amazing space that the Art Academy has, and most importantly, getting to know the students. 

Looking back on those first few days, I am blown away by the level of kindness I was shown from the staff and students. Truthfully, as someone who comes from a relatively privileged background, I have not had many opportunities to spend time with communities whose lived experiences may be greatly different than mine, including the primarily Latino and formerly incarcerated population that Homeboy serves. I was a bit nervous going into the whole experience, of potentially feeling out of place or out of my depth. However, after spending time with the students and trainees, I’ve realized that there is much more for me to learn from this community than I could have anticipated. Many people here have faced challenges that I may never fully understand, but I can face those experiences with curiosity, compassion, and respect. I believe art has the incredible ability to encourage connection and conversations, and provide space for forms of expression that may not always be easy to verbalize or understand. 

Much of my time has been spent helping other teachers with their classes for the students, preparing for my classes or events, and spending time with the students. One highlight was supporting the Art Academy during its community roundtable, where local artists, businesses, and organizations came together to discuss ways in which we can support the students and their continued growth. As a facilitator for one of the small group discussions, I led discussions about potential classes, workshops, talks, field trips, and opportunities for students to engage with the broader arts community. As someone who is new to LA, it was inspiring to see the over 40 people who came together to share their time, knowledge, and resources to support the amazing Art Academy. 

As I move forward, I still feel like I am somewhat out of my comfort zone, but I see that as an important part of this learning experience. One of my goals for this internship is to become a stronger educator and facilitator by developing projects that are accessible, engaging, and adaptable to different communities. Next week, I will begin teaching my Sculpture class, which will mostly consist of teaching the basics of shape and forms in three dimensional space, with final wire sculptures created by the students. I am excited to see how the students respond to 3D projects, especially as most of their work has focused on drawing and painting. I have my work cut out for me with prep for my classes, as I am completing the projects I am asking of the students myself, so I can have a better sense of the technique and examples of each step along the process. Most of this prep has been organizing the curriculum and troubleshooting materials and techniques that I think will be most conducive to the Art Academy environments. 

This experience is already shaping the way I think about community engagement and arts education beyond a traditional studio setting. Going forward, I hope to continue exploring ways that art can build community and encourage self expression and understanding. I truly am blown away that I get to work somewhere that is doing such meaningful work for the LA community, and I am looking forward to the challenges, lessons, and relationships that the rest of this experience will bring. 

Becoming One with Cape Cod Ecology – Serena Yu, BFA Illustration’27

My first blog post of the summer, and oh my god where do I even start?? These past two weeks I have been settling down in the town of Dennis on Cape Cod, and becoming fully immersed in the vast variety of projects at the Dennis Conservation Land Trust. The DCLT has connected me with two of their board members Frank and Shawn, who have generously offered to host me in their home for the summer. These first two weeks here have been filled with so many activities across so many different areas, and I am super excited to talk about my time out on the field and farm!

Fieldwork and Research:

Much of my time have been spend shadowing TerraCorp members Charly Raymond and Lydia Reinhart in conducting fieldwork and exploring several of the DCLT’s conserved properties. From salt marsh to swampland to sand dunes, much of my day is spent out in the sun doing biodiversity surveys, collecting samples, and gaining a deeper understanding of the different ecological landscapes. It is amazing to see how diverse different environments can look within one township!

Two species of note that we have been monitoring are the Spadefoot Toads and Diamondback Terrapins, both endangered. Spadefoot Toads can be distinguished by the ‘hourglass’ patterning on their back and dark marks on their feet (see below for an example of one we found, compared to the spotted patterning of the common American Toad). We went out searching for these toads in the evening, when they come out of their burrows and hang out in sandy, open spaces near vernal pools. There is an ‘eyeshine’ technique that helps you spot them in the dark. I am excited to say that I am the first and only person so far who has found a Spadefoot Toad in one of the DCLT’s properties! (I cant specify because you aren’t meant to publish where you find endangered species; another thing I have learned)

Diamondback Terrapins are currently in nesting season, meaning we are looking for them during high tide in open, sandy dune environments when females exit the salt marsh to lay their eggs. Through monitoring populations and understanding their nesting behaviors, conservation groups gain data to protect these endangered species through permits and regulations (gaining permissions to regulate land, tracking animals, and add fencing around nests).

Much of the field research and sampling work is related to TerraCorp members Charly Raymond and Lydia Reinhart’s current research on the effects of commercial mosquito deterrents, specifically the chemical BTI, on insect and bacterial populations in vernal pools. On the headquarters property sits a series of mesocosms containing organic material and water samples taken from our properties that mimic natural vernal pool biodiversity. Each mesocosm is treated with a different concentration of BTI solution (done professionally by a local mosquito control company) and are routinely observed, monitored and sampled. We are looking for insect populations, vegetation growth, and zooplankton diversity.

Regenerative Farming:

The Dennis Conservation Land Trust is headquartered on the historic Not Enough Acres Farm, where they have built several garden plots on their property. The food grown on the property is donated to local food pantries. Last year, they donated 2000 pounds of fresh produce, and this year they hope to donate 3000 pounds! its been super rewarding getting my green thumb on helping out with planting and gardening, and all while learning about regenerative community farming and Cape Cod’s agricultural history. I’ve been helping with general farm maintenance alongside volunteers and staff members, installing drip irrigation, looking at barn swallows, and getting inspired for my own future garden!

Fun Fact: Did you know that the entire nasturtium plant is edible, and the flowers and stems taste just like radishes?

The DCLT also recently purchased another property and farm house right across the street from Not Enough Acres Farm. The farmhouse was owned by the Crowell family, who were some of the original residents of Cape Cod. The history of the farm house goes back to the 1800s, and the DCLT is currently in the process of inventorying all of the eclectic and historic objects within the house. Sesuit Farmhouse feels like a place frozen in time, with shelves of lamp oil, barns filled with firewood, handmade quilts, an outhouse, yet also a Ninja Creami on the counter? The DCLT plans to convert it into usable living space to provide affordable housing for youth working in conservation. They already own several properties for this initiative, and have offered me the opportunity to stay in the farmhouse this summer! There is so much cool stuff in here, its a collector’s dream. The Cape Cod Historical Society is taking on many of the items with historical significance, and much of it is also being donated to be auctioned and sold for funds that support local charities.

Community Engagement

Beyond my farm and field duties, it has been a pleasure to be so welcomed by the Dennis and Cape Cod community! There are so many wonderful residents and organizations that collaborate with us and share similar conservation-minded values. I am constantly amazed by how many people show up and offer their time to help on the farm, steward the properties, inventory, clean, and contribute their labour. My first weekend here, the DCLT hosted their annual open house, where they socialize and chat with community members about conservation work. There were over 150 attendees! I have been learning so many names and faces and not doing a very good job of keeping track of them. I was also able to tag along for a Stewards Meetup, where conservation groups from several surrounding towns meet up to learn what each organization is doing, make friends with other conservationists, and also just socialize. Even though man-made municipal borders often separate locations on the legal side of things, many conservation areas overlap properties, and groups need to collaborate on their restoration projects and initiatives. It was also super exciting to see how many young people were involved with and passionate about environmental protection.

The DCLT collaborates with the local Brazilian Resource Center and coordinates weekly activities in the 4H program for Brazilian immigrants and youth. This week, we visited the AquaCultural Research Center, which functions as an oyster and shellfish hatchery and scientific research facility We were able to witness and observe the shellfish lifecycle while learning how an oyster hatchery and research facility functions. I’ve been thinking a lot about how shellfish and crustaceans are now seen as high-end foods, when historically they were the ‘poor man’s food’ and readily available.

Next Steps

In the upcoming weeks, I will be discussing with David Fryxell, executive director, to narrow down specific creative projects for me to begin working on. These initial weeks were spent with the goal of gaining a thorough understanding of the DCLT’s objectives, mission, programming, and resources, as well as a deeper understanding of the ecology and land to inform my process. The plethora of nature has inspired several potential projects and I have many ideas on how to move forward. Up to this point, Dave has given me space to consider my own ideas based off of my interests and passions, and soon we will be sitting down to combine our thought processes and establish concrete, tangible creative projects for me to contribute.

In the meantime, I will continue to draw, sketch, and take notes! I have been enjoying the creative outlets and local galleries in the area. The Cape Cod Museum of Art was wonderful, and I have been busy chatting textiles with Amy DuFault, the Outreach Coordinator at the DCLT who also runs the Southeast New England FibreShed. She is a brilliant natural dye and textiles artist, and we will hopefully do some rust dyeing together with some of the rusty old equipment in the shed of Sesuit Farmhouse.

This was such a long blogpost. So much has happened in only two weeks, and it all went by so quickly. I am super excited to see what happens next and talk about it! This is like the diary I have always wanted to keep. Like, Comment and Subscribe.

Cultural Programming and Community Engagement at Evanston ASPA- June Ahleman, BFA Painting ’27

My work with Evanston ASPA got off to a busy and exciting start! With May being Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, there were many events, programs, and community celebrations to help prepare for and support. The two programs I was involved with were an exhibition called In the Absence of Space and the annual Umbrella Arts Festival. 

In the Absence of Space, is an exhibition held by Evanston ASPA in partnership with Evanston Latinos, Aloha Center Chicago, Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum, Shorefront Legacy Center, and Evanston Made. This exhibition explores how artists respond to exclusion and invisibility by imagining and building spaces of presence, connection, and community. 

My first day was artwork drop off day so I was able to start working with the team and contributing artists right away. My favorite part of helping with the exhibition was discussing relationships between artworks and installing accordingly! I was really excited to get more experience handling and mounting work. I will continue to help staff the gallery space through the month of June.

The second event I helped with was The Umbrella Arts Festival. The Umbrella Arts Festival is a celebration of Asian American history, culture and art. The umbrella symbolizes the Asian American diaspora which includes a diversity of ethnicities from over 40 Asian, South Asian, Southeast Asian and Pacific Island countries around the world, and is inclusive of the many intersections of identities that exist in our communities. This year’s Umbrella Arts Festival took place on Saturday May 30th, the same day as the opening of In The Absence of Space. I was able to work between both the welcome table at the festival and in the gallery space as well! The festival was super well attended and there were so many exciting performances and activities. I had so many meaningful conversations at the event and enjoyed seeing firsthand the impact that community-centered programming can have.

Alongside these events I have been researching current resources available to support the TEAACH Act and preparing for a community gathering/workshop I’ll be hosting at the end of the month! The TEAACH act (Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History) is an Illinois act passed in 2021 that mandates that all public elementary and high schools in the state teach a unit of curriculum on the history and contributions of Asian Americans.

Collections and Conservation–Mary Seol, B.Arch24

The past few weeks have been filled with lovely finds from collections. Some are simply beautiful, such as these black and white photos shot on film of suminagashi: Japanese paper marbling. They are estimated to be images from the 70s or 80s of Mr. Fukuda, possessor of an “intangible cultural property” designation. 

Some artifacts are toxic and dangerous, like paper samples we found that were pigmented with arsenic! In particular, many older artifacts used pigments or materials common during their era and regions, only for us to later realize the danger of the materials. In cases such as this, we relocated, rehoused, and labeled the artifact for safe future handling. (Below: arsenic green!)

During my time at the museum, I have learned a lot about the chemistry behind paper and the efforts it takes to preserve aging paper. Quality paper has high cellulose content, which is why certain plants and fibers (cotton, paper mulberry, hemp, etc) create better paper than others (cactus, cabbage, wood). Hydrogen bonding between cellulose joins fibers together to create strong sheets.

Most paper today is industrially made from trees, using wood pulp.

Fun fact: The idea to use trees to make paper began after French entomologist René Réaumur observed paper wasps creating their nests. These insects chew up wood into a pulp that is used to build a remarkably strong paper nest. 

The tricky thing about using trees to make paper is that wood contains only about 50% cellulose (as opposed to cotton, which is about 94% cellulose). Trees also contain lignin, which helps provide structure and stiffness for trees to grow tall and strong. For industrial paper mills, sulfur is used to remove lignin from wood pulp. However cheaper, low-quality papers often contain lignin (ex. newsprint). Notice in the artifacts below, the younger book (right) is already yellowing because it was made with wood pulp. Despite being about 300 years older, the paper in the book on the left is much higher quality and in better condition.

Because lignin increases the acidity of paper, it causes sheets to yellow and become brittle over time. Think of cheap, old paperback books with yellowing pages. In collections, we have to protect brittle sheets with acid free folders and deal with leeching from any acidic sheets. So far, it has been an amazing opportunity to learn about (paper) conservation, and I am hopeful about the museum’s plans to grow their materials library to serve as a resource for researchers and students. Currently, the materials library is mostly paper sample books and fiber samples, but as an architecture student I could easily imagine it expanding to include paper building products.

Eagerly looking forward to the future of this paper collection!

 My final thoughts  – Maria Lopez Vazquez – Landscape Architecture 2026

My last days at TRNERR were bittersweet. It was terrific to see how ideas were worked on and formalized into events and activities by all the partner institutions that make Tijuana River Action Month (TRAM) possible.

Working in a binational setting is challenging. It’s one thing to imagine the logistics of working with groups on both sides of the border. However, understanding the relationships that must grow to get things done is incredibly complex.

Creating and maintaining partnerships takes consistency, dedication, and constant communication. Ana Xochitl Eguiarte and the Coastal Training Program team are dedicated and passionate individuals working to bridge the gaps between non-profits, civil society, developers, private industry, academia, and government agencies.

Mexico’s legal system is based on civil law, which is rooted in ancient Roman law. In the United States, Law is based on the Common Law System. These differences impact the organization and management of territories and how society interacts with their environment. Many of the programs have a cyclical nature, and many others are projects that span many years. It is imperative to understand both systems to foster communication and cross-cultural collaboration. 

It’s easy to try to compare the two neighboring territories at a glance. As a citizen of both countries, I have the privilege of experiencing both sides. As a landscape designer, I am trained to understand the extent of the ecology and visualize the potential for creating a community (human-centric and non-human-centric alike). I failed to realize that the systems work at a different pace, and many routes take you to the same result. 

The border region will benefit from the involvement of more landscape professionals applying their knowledge in cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary groups. The interaction of different disciplines will yield a better understanding of the unique situation in the border region. We must work together towards a sustainable future that benefits us all. 

The Grand Meeting – Alex Hogue, BRDD Illustration 2026

Hello again! The past couple weeks have been so inspiring, and I am so happy to share some exciting updates in my summer! 

At the beginning of July, Inspiration Point, the Grand Adventure’s much anticipated in-person camp, took place! I was so excited to be able to attend in person in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and be able to meet the campers! I was also finally able to meet my mentors, Bree and Stacey, in-person for the first time and take in the incredible beauty of the Grand Teton National Park, which was absolutely stunning to see for myself!

There were so many incredible plans during the camp! The kids were able to hike to the peak of one of the mountains of the Tetons (we took the tram up to the top, so it wasn’t too crazy!), and we were even able to have a snowball fight at the top as there were still patches of snow on the ground! They were able to canoe down the Snake River, and they camped in Yellowstone National Park. It was incredibly powerful to see the kids taking on such adventures and step out of their comfort zones despite all they have been through, and it really conveyed to me the impact of this experience. This truly is such a special once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Not only that, but the campers were able to meet other kids going through similar experiences and make lasting life-long connections, which I think is one of the most impactful parts of the program.

It was so rewarding to meet the campers and learn about their incredible stories and backgrounds. I was in awe of their enthusiasm and willingness to explore and take on this new adventure. I feel so inspired to continue my work with this organization after finally being able to experience this program for myself. 

Looking ahead at what’s to come, I hope to create illustrations for visual communication that capture the incredible message and powerful emotions of this program! This tool will hopefully be used for advertising and promotion to donors, which I’ve learned is a massive and crucial component of running a non-profit like this. I am continuing to also work on developing a coloring book that the kids can use to remember their experience, learn more about the wildlife they saw, and engage with the camp even after the program is over, and I am considering designing stickers that the kids can also have as souvenirs!

I look forward to sharing what else is to come!