Auspex

Auspex is a visual research project based on the ecosystems of Hall County, NE. The sandhill crane migration served as the impetus for this project. Working as a part ornithologist, photographer, and designer, I researched the early naturalists of Nebraska and acquired writings and photographs from the University of Nebraska’s Archives + Special Collections Library, Frank Shoemaker and Erwin H. Barbour being the most prolific; reading academic journals and books about the ecological systems and how they are most threatened by agriculture and water shortages; and two research trips to Grand Island, where I collected sound, video, and photographs of the sandhill cranes. Additionally, the symbology found throughout the book was sourced from Shoemaker’s field journals – the shorthand notes for bird calls.