As climate change causes rising sea levels, warmer winters, and unpredictable weather, our forests are paying the price. Once-vibrant stretches of woodland are becoming what is known as “ghost forests,” as the trees die, rotted by salt water or infested with insects, but remain standing. When this happens, the delicate ecosystems that depend on the trees are destroyed, leaving these areas devoid of the normal life that should fill them. Maya Lin, an artist and architect with an interest in environmental issues, has brought a haunting ghost forest to the urban landscape of Manhattan. At the center of Madison Square Park is a stand of 50 dead white cedar trees installed by the artist and her team. The trees are from New Jersey’s Pine Barrens and were killed by an inundation of salt water from a nearby river. As Lin puts it, “each tree is a monument to climate change.” The installation brings the devastating effects of the current crisis to the heart of a city that can seem removed from nature, creating a dramatic and haunting experience for visitors to the park.

A note: the artist will offset the carbon used in installing the work by planting 1000 trees around the city. Over ten years, the carbon emissions will be offset by a factor of ten.