With Appleton Farms’ storied history and its current ecological and agricultural activities, Jean Shin’s Perch explores temporality (both ecological and agricultural time) and regeneration. At Appleton, bobolinks—songbirds that make the long migratory journey from the southern hemisphere and whose populations are in decline—are the primary birds that use the grasslands and hayfields as their nesting sites.

Marking the sites where the Trustees’ ecology team monitors the bobolink population, Shin created sculptural platforms from fallen and dead trees found throughout Appleton. These platforms allow visitors to engage with the project and, in doing so, become participants in this critical monitoring throughout the project’s run. Within the nesting area, Shin created sculptural perches from fallen trees and salvaged copper, which male bobolinks can perch as they search for mates and mark their territory.

Moreover, Jean Shin’s Perch integrates into the landscape and supports the agroecological work at the farm, aiming to visualize, amplify, and raise awareness of this critical species and its habitat, as well as the important endeavors at Appleton Farms.