Beetle Kill and Aspen Die-Off
A design venture prompted by the pine, spruce, and aspen stressed and endangered as a consequence of changing conditions in the Intermountain WestWorkshop facilitator and process leader, Sustainable development, Research, Strategy, Explorative design, Community design"Beetle Kill and Aspen Die-Off" was the inaugural project of the larger Designers and Forest collaborative that was founded by associates from State University of New York, Jason Dilworth and Megan Urban, and Daniel Byström from Design Nation. In the summer of 2013, the members of Designers and Forests met in the forests of Utah to explore and experience the region and familiarize with the area’s problems. The project linked designers from Sweden and New York with local foresters, activists, designers, artisans, and community members in Utah. The participators engaged in a dialogue that allowed experts to share unique knowledge and perspectives across disciplines and borders with the intention of finding new ways of looking at the problems of stressed forests. Through collaboration possible solutions were proposed to the region’s problems, and a scalable model was created that could help foster healthier forests and communities in Utah. Workshops were conducted while exploring the state and meeting key members of different communities affected by beetle kill and aspen die-off. This research and exploration lead to pilot projects to be developed and implemented.
Year:2013
