Emerald ash borer beetles have been in the Midwest since the early 2000s, more recently making their way into North and South Dakota.
The invasive species feeds in ash trees, tunneling into the wood. They’ve killed and weakened tens of millions of ash trees across the country, according to the USDA.
Iowa is no exception—every one of its counties has witnessed the beetle wreaking havoc in tree populations.
One Des Moines artist has been turning those stumps, sometimes 10 feet tall, into sculptures for years. It’s his way of reclaiming creativity in an otherwise destructive ecological situation.
“Both the customer and I are happy to see the tree become a piece of art rather than get mulched up and sent to a landfill,” Gary Keenan says. “If there is an upside to the emerald ash borer, that’s it, in my opinion. We can create more art.”
Keenan first started chainsaw carving 26 years ago when he discovered the art at the Iowa State Fair.
“I was really intrigued,” Keenan says. “And I started playing around with it on weekends, and it just started taking off from there.”
He used to carve oak, walnut, and pine trees mostly for homeowner commissions. But when emerald ash borer started invading, cities began calling on him for artistic help. He had to learn how to carve ash—the wood is drier, harder, and denser. Now, at least two-thirds of his calls are for ash tree services, he says.
His process: Find a theme (wildlife is big right now, he says). Load up his tools (scaffolding for the height of the trees, chainsaw for the blocking, sanders and grinders for the details). Spend a day or two finding the art in the tree, stump still in the ground. Burn, paint if desired, and seal.
“And most cases, I’m using a torch to burn into crevices and outlining the contours of the body, and it gives the piece more depth and definition,” Keenan says. “[Sometimes I carve] a menagerie of critters, say, an owl or two on top, a squirrel or two scampering around the trunk, maybe a raccoon in the hollow.”
He travels to fairs, demonstrating and selling his work—and he’s in good company.
Others in the Midwest are turning to similar art, like a Michigan arboretum’s fantasy carvings or a Chicago eco-artist’s sculptures. After mass infestation of ash trees across forests and communities across the eastern half of the U.S., they’re finding beauty in what’s left behind.