Red Oak Leaves

Quercus rubra

8×10″ Red oak bark ink, lichen ink, black walnut ink, and pen on paper

Red oak is a familiar tree I’ve come to know more deeply through scientific research. In the PLACE Lab at Smith College, under the guidance of Professor Jess Gersony, we studied how this iconic New England species responds to drought. Much of my work took place in the lab, processing leaf samples to understand how the trees adapt to drought stress. Over time, the red oak has come to embody a quiet endurance, rooted in place, yet responsive to change. A witness to both seasonal cycles and long-term shifts in the environment.