Scene from the Taiga: Winter [acrylic on canvas, 4" x 6"]
The taiga is a biome (an area defined by geography and climate that harbors a community of flora and fauna specifically adapted to surviving this environment) made up of coniferous (cone-bearing) forests, with trees such as spruces, firs, pines, and hemlocks. Even though this biome is quite beautiful, its land is actually quite barren and devoid of nutrients. This is because the canopy made by the tall trees is so thick that little sunlight reaches the ground, which is already covered in acidic, decomposing pine needles. Life, however, has found a way of thriving in this challenging environment, which not only has a poorly fertilized ground but also experiences harsh winters and short summers. Animals that live in the taiga include bears, wolves, lynxes, and squirrels. Bears are opportunistic omnivores given the limited resources offered by the taiga; hence, they eat whatever is available, whether it is flora or fauna. Bears also enter an interesting state of hibernation during the winter, wherein their heart-rate and metabolism slow down to conserve energy during the cold, but they periodically "wake up" to either defecate or eat any stored food. Seed-eating birds have developed long, thing beaks to dig deep into the nutrient-poor earth for delicious delicacies like worms and seeds. To experience the beauty of the taiga in the northeast, go hiking in Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire. The sky is dripping with falling stars constantly, such as with The Perseids, a generous meteor shower that occurs during late summer. The taiga is probably the best place to see The Perseids since there is no "city light pollution" obstructing their stellar tails. These three scenes can be mounted/hinged together to produce a triptych.
