A surreal manifestation of the current reality of species displacement due to habitat loss and changing climate conditions.

Freshwater pearl mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera) clustered upon a tree trunk in the same manner that monarch butterflies roost at the end of their continental migration.

The transition from the aquatic to the arboreal is so unnatural that it draws parallels with the kind of extreme events that would lead to mass climate migrations and forced adaptations.

Yet, there is a whimsical, iridescent beauty to this gathering, reminding us that the realities of climate change can sometimes seem appealing (warmer weather, rare species sightings) when in fact the ecological toll is disastrous and unsustainable.