Native Oak, Roger Medearis

Exhibition Label:
"Trees & Other Ramifications: Branches in Nature & Culture," Mar-2009, Steve Goddard
Medearis’ Native Oak may be a Burr or Chinkapin Oak (Quercus macrocarpa or Quercus muhlenbergii). The artist’s emphasis on the oak’s roots reminds us of the important ecological roles played by the root systems of trees. In riparian ecosystems (located along streams and rivers), for example, tree roots help to control riverbank erosion.