Tagged

Tagged is a series of images of the identification tags on trees on the University of British Columbia's Vancouver campus. The tags remind us that the trees form a living archive of species that were planted on campus for their aesthetic, scientific, and cultural value. As markers of human interaction with trees, the tags also signal a sense of oversight and stewardship as well as claims to the trees as material property of the university. The designation "UBC Tree" prompts me to ask, "whose tree?" as I recognize the role they play in the campus ecosystem, socially and environmentally.