Science Communication

Linking science & art

I believe that science communication goes far beyond published papers and conference talks. As a photographer, filmmaker and musician, I link science and art to creatively communicate my work and connect with a far wider and more diverse audience. 

Filmmaking

My short film, Fire in the Wilderness, depicts leading fire ecologists working to better understand wildfire and highlights the importance of fire as a fundamental natural process. It has screened at film festivals around the world, including the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival (MT), London Mountain Film Festival (UK), Wasatch Mountain Film Festival (UT), Princeton Environmental Film Festival (NJ), Les Bois Film Festival (ID), Maine Outdoor Film Festival, and Frozen River Film Festival (MN). Watch it below! 

Photography

I tell compelling ecological stories through photography. My 2021 solo exhibit, Wilderness Fire, explores the beauty of a wilderness landscape intimately tied to fire. Reaching several hundred visitors, these images reveal an ecosystem where fire is an agent of destruction but also one of stability and rejuvenation—a balancing force that creates space for new growth and adaptation. Explore several of these images below, and see more of my work at my photography website. 

Wilderness Fire photo exhibit

Music

As a pianist and composer, I have written forest ecology-related music, presented numerous solo recitals, and performed with orchestras in Montana, Utah, Indiana, and Kansas. 

I performed a solo piano recital (livestream here) on April 23, 2024 featuring fire-inspired piano pieces by historic and living composers. This program explored the music and ecology of fire, including the importance of fire as an ecosystem process and how we as societies respond to and grieve the impacts of extreme wildfires. The full program included pieces such as: 

This recital was joint-sponsored by the University of Montana School of Music and the University of Montana Wilderness Institute.