It’s 7pm in the middle of January and a group of artists is gathered on zoom, talking about how they got started in the world of photography and what subjects give them greatest inspiration.
Cynthia Dickinson grew up immersed in the vast green forests and cold clear lakes of northern Minnesota, guided by her father, who was a forester. According to family legend, her first words were, “look at the white pine.” More recently, Dickinson spent three weeks living in the Dunn Cabin on the St. Croix River near Marine on St. Croix, while participating in an artist residency hosted by the St. Croix Watershed Research Station. “I wanted to do more research about the watershed and its forest environments. A book came to mind. Visual literacy came to mind. Photography and how its has changed everything came to mind,” she explains. With visions of forests and rivers dancing in her head, Dickinson began reaching out to local photographers and natural resource experts.
“Likely Stories,” the project that emerged, can best be described as a photographic journey through climate adaptations in the St. Croix Watershed. As part of this project, the artists seek to document the local impacts of climate change, such as black ash swamps, decimated by Emerald ash borer, tamarack “ghost forests,” algae blooms on the river and inland lakes, and future changes at the Allen S. King power plant. Equally important, they also hope to showcase examples of individuals, communities and organizations that are taking action to build climate resiliency.
Alice O’Brien Berquist, another photographer participating in the project, describes herself as a fifth generation resident of the St. Croix River Valley. She is inspired by nature and is particularly adept at capturing images of birds – a red bellied woodpecker aglow in the soft light of a January day, a family of swans in flight, or a group of white pelicans migrating up the river valley. “I try to take photographs that display the river’s beauty and wildness,” she says. “Hopefully this treasure can be protected and enjoyed for generations to come.”
Each of the eight photographers contributing to Likely Stories – Cynthia Dickinson (@cynthdickinson), Alice O’Brien Berquist (@stcroix_nature), Matt Spector (@mattspectorphotos), Thomas Corcoran (@corcoranimages), Pamela Sherlock (@antirrhetikos), Sarah Lilja (@sarah_lilja_photography), Tina Faye (@tinafayephotography), and Sandy Swanson – brings a slightly different perspective to the project. Corcoran, for example, is more drawn to images of people and buildings. In early October, he participated in a Nibi Water Walk along the St. Croix River, which was led by Sharon Day. During the event, he captured images of women in long flowing dresses, carrying water from the river as they walked down highways and country roads. Nibi Walks are Indigenous-led ceremonies, held to pray for the health of water and most take place over multiple days, with participants camping at host sites along the way.
The artists have also been very intentional about including scientific experts from the Science Museum, Wild Rivers Conservancy, and Washington Conservation District in the project. During a meeting in April 2024, for example, Adam Heathcote, Director of the St. Croix Watershed Research Station, talked about climate impacts observed on the St. Croix River such as rapid fluctuations in river levels, bigger swings between wet and dry years, and loss of trees on islands in the river. At a later meeting with Alexis Monti, Climate Resiliency Specialist with Wild Rivers Conservancy, the group learned about strategies local communities can employ to build resiliency, such as using prescribed burns to reduce the risk of mega-fires and working to maintain habitat connectivity.
Likely Stories is supported by the St. Croix Watershed Research Station, Science Museum of Minnesota, Wild Rivers Conservancy, and St. Croix 360, with additional sponsorships by Zenfolio and DXO. Artwork and photography will be shared on websites and social media, as well as at gallery events, which will be scheduled later in the year. Follow along at www.instagram.com/likelystories_ to watch as the project unfolds.
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