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Kathryn Miller
First day of the Subdivision, Isla Vista, CA, 1992

Kathryn Miller   The Subdivision over time, 1992
Kathryn Miller   The Subdivision over time, 1992
Kathryn Miller   Butterflies feeding on plants from the Subdivision, 1992
Kathryn Miller

The Subdivision

Isla Vista, California

Subdivisions--a major California plague--replace the ecology of a large area with buildings, asphalt, concrete and non-native plantings. As a result the wildlife is displaced and the history of the place is erased.

In response to this process I created my own subdivision, a site-specific revegetation project where the soil houses filled with seeds break down over time to become part of the landscape. They leave only mounds of vegetation correctly matched to the local plant ecology. It reversed what I saw going on around me. Plants were chosen that provided nectar for several species of butterflies that were disappearing due to a loss of food source.

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