Studio Understory

We’re honoring Black History Month by kicking off the revitalization of an interpretive trail that will bring more of Washington State's Black history to light. Beginning in 1888, African-American laborers and their families took trains from the Midwest and the South to live in Roslyn and work in Ronald at Mine No. 3. Over the next many decades, the Black community grew, and so did the local music scene, spiritual life, sports, politics, and picnics. Today, the legacy of Roslyn’s Black Pioneers continues. Sadly, there are also stories of conflict, strike breaks, and segregation embedded in this history. Understory (based in Roslyn) is partnering with our local Heritage Club, descendants of Roslyn's Black Pioneers, and other organizations to create new signage along the Coal Mines Trail—a former railbed linking these former mining towns. One of our goals is for trail travelers to appreciate how the Black Pioneers—and MANY cultural groups—made this special place what it is today. ?? 1. Mr. and Mrs. Powell Barnett pose for a picture in Roslyn ca. 1924. Benjamin Barnett arrived in the late 1880s to work in the coal mines. 2. Mine No. 3, Ronald, Washington (1915). CWU Roslyn African American History Photographs, 13 & 48. #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackHistory #WashingtonHistory

Angela just wrapped up an extra-large watercolor for Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission! Understory is thrilled to contribute to Parks staffs' efforts to update and create new interpretive media for public lands across the state, in partnership with the talented designers at Facet. This illustrated panel is part of a new set of designs that will welcome and orient visitors to Fort Flagler State Park (and get them excited about dramatic bluffs, wildlife, and history!). #customillustration #interpretivedesign #Washingtonhistory #Washingtonecology

This month we found ourselves volunteering at the?North Helpline?Bitter Lake Food Bank—an incredible organization focused on food and housing security, with service providers who communicate to neighbors in the MANY different languages they speak. This community service was part of a larger effort to gather community feedback on designs for Bitter Lake Reservoir Park—a project that Understory is providing audience evaluation and illustration services for, in partnership with?Seattle Public Utilities?and?HBB Landscape Architecture. HBB created draft designs for prototyping at the Food Bank and three other locations. The reservoir itself is being reconstructed for improved water security and many other features. Illustrations will help park users connect more deeply with this resource! ?? Also, a shout-out to EnviroIssues who is doing an awesome job of gathering and analyzing community feedback. #watersecurity #foodsecurity #audienceevaluation #scientificillustration #landscapearchitecture

Our talented client, Juliet Kennedy (Marketing Director at TWISP CHAMBER OF COMMERCE) is working with local high-schoolers to transform the wall of the Visitor Information Center into a wondrous landscape. ?? ?? Meanwhile, we're plotting out layers of stories—and low-cost materials!—to be installed in concert with this mountain scene. ??? #placemaking #brandmagic #communitycollaboration #scrappy

Studio Understory is incredibly thankful for all of the awesome clients we've gotten to work with, the places we've explored, and the stories we've worked with communities to tell over the past year—our first full year in business! Thank you to everyone who has helped us live our mission to illuminate lesser-known aspects of history and the natural world through storytelling and works of art. #interpretiveplanning #placemaking #exhibitdevelopment #thankful

Holden Village is a remote wilderness community, rooted in the Lutheran tradition, that welcomes all people into the North Cascade Mountains. ?? ?? ?? Since 1962, the Village has transformed from a copper mining town into a vibrant community of education, programming, and worship. ???? ?? This non-profit’s vision is to cultivate a more just, sustainable, and compassionate world. Sure enough, many visitors say they go home more resourceful, open-minded, and FUN than when they arrived. ?? We visited Holden Village last week to help develop and select artifacts for an introductory exhibition for their new Portal Museum. It was very much like a 5-day treasure hunt/charrette! ?? ?? ?? #cocreation #exhibitdevelopment #treasurehunt #charrette

Resilience: a buzzword, perhaps, but a meaningful one. Understory exists to help organizations who—like us—are on an ongoing quest to amplify underrepresented voices, cultivate understanding of diverse perspectives, and inspire good stewardship among fragile and changing landscapes. Today, we feel motivated to help our clients and their communities stay resilient in the face of challenging times. Image: Polypore mushrooms burst from blackened pine trees long after a prescribed burn. Indicators of resiliency abound in the Roslyn Urban Forest by Angela’s home office. #Resilience #Equity #Untoldstories

Two summers ago, Laura and Angela spent a week in Holden Village—a remote wilderness community in the North Cascades, rooted in the Lutheran tradition. Every summer, visitors come to Holden from far and wide to learn new skills, engage in challenging dialogue, and reconnect with a healthy work/play balance. We were there to share the gospel of interpretive planning, of course—by leading workshops in which community members made concepts for a wildfire-themed interpretive trail. ?? The experience of leading these workshops was so fulfilling that we decided to start Understory several months later. ?? Now, we’re thrilled to be working with Holden Village on a collections-focused exhibit for the new museum they’re building! Through artifacts and community-driven storytelling, we’ll help welcome and connect all people to this unique place, so that they can make the most of their time and take some core values and practices back home. We'll share some fun photos of last week's treasure hunt, soon. ?? ?? ?? These photos are from the "Interpretation On Fire" workshop we led in 2022. ?? ?? Anny Joy Berntsen #interpretiveplanning #exhibitiondevelopment #womeninbusiness #wildfire

"The words we use matter — language has the power to uplift as well as marginalize. From the time we start learning how to communicate, we unconsciously take in the implicit biases in our language. We may not realize certain words, and how we use them, can be damaging to others. With so many ways to convey a single thought, finding the 'right' word can be difficult." - National Recreation and Park Association's Equity Language Guide, 2021. We've found this guide to be helpful for creating inclusive interpretation. It is chock full of links to additional resources. #inclusivecommunication #parksandrecreation #wordsmatter

Recently, Understory went on the prowl for interpretive stories at Wolf Haven International, an internationally-recognized wolf sanctuary whose mission is to conserve and protect wolves and their habitat. Located in Tenino, WA, Wolf Haven is building a new treehouse education center, which will serve as a hub for visitors to experience the wonder of wolves. To help think through the treehouse’s many interpretive options, Understory spent a day with the team touring the site, crafting an interpretive plan, and even making some new wolf friends.? #interpretiveplanning #wolfconservation #wolfhabitat