During a recent trip to Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, where Cortada has served on the Committee of Scientists and as Artist-in-Residence for over a decade, the artist engaged local students in an intimate performance piece, “Conversation with a Forest.”

Cortada invited the learners to become immersed in the forest, see and hear the stories being told, and capture their unique observations through an interaction between a piece of paper and elements of the forest itself. Upon reflection, participants responded to the forest’s communication through writings, drawings, and poems.

Through this process, Cortada emphasized that the forest is a living organism, and its communication deserves attention and a response.