Artist: Anne Roberts

Lead-safety Message: We’ve long known that birds and trees can be poisoned by lead. Each tree ring records a year of growth, but also a year of pollution. By measuring lead in the rings, researchers can reconstruct the rise and fall of airborne lead across decades.

Description of Work: Birds sculpted from wood in pieces and bolted/glued together. Message adapted from Professor Bruce Lanphear’s August 26, 2025 Substack – https://blanphear.substack.com/p/times-toxic-signature – The Chronicles of Lead Toxicity: A History Cast in Fire, Frozen in Ice.