In Support of the Carpenter Nature Center’s Wild Places & Education

As Autumn takes hold in the St. Croix River Valley, I am deeply honored to contribute to an organization that has held a special place in my life since childhood: the Carpenter Nature Center.

Growing up surrounded by the river valley’s natural beauty, the Nature Center served as my earliest outdoor classroom. Long before I began painting professionally, my reverence for wildlife was nurtured along their quiet trails, watching songbirds during seasonal bird counts and bird banding sessions, attending outreach programs with their ambassador birds of prey, and wandering their historic orchards and gardens. The Center has enriched my life and work in countless ways, and supporting their mission is a meaningful way to help ensure future generations enjoy those same formative experiences.

Created specifically in support of the Nature Center and their annual gala, this piece captures a quintessential autumn moment in their orchards: a bright black-capped chickadee perched amongst ripe apples. September and October are always a wonderful time at Carpenter, when the branches are heavy with fruit—providing both a fall tradition for visiting families and a vital autumn food source for local songbirds.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the dedicated staff, board members, volunteers, and community supporters whose efforts made this year’s gala and annual auction such a success. Your work protects the vital habitats, trails, and wildlife of the St. Croix and Mississippi river valleys, ensuring this sanctuary continues to thrive for years to come.