Salvaging the trunk and stump of a dead tree on Frederic Church’s former estate Olana, the artist Jean Shin ceremonially peeled the fallen hemlock’s bark using historic tools from 19th-century tanneries that decimated the Catskill hemlock forests. The tannins in the hemlock bark were essential for the production of leather. The remaining bark rests underneath the shadow of this 140 years old tree that Church planted when he witnessed the devastating deforesting across the Hudson River from his home. Creating a “second skin,” Shin enshrouds this tree with hides, another casualty of ecological destruction, coming full circle to protect and adorn one fallen tree. Making visible the layers of history, loss, and rebirth in this landscape, the artist invites visitors to observe the hemlock’s beauty while urging us to consider how the absence of this still-threatened species would impact the ecosystem.