Aspen trees grow in colonies, each trunk the offshoot of a large and complex root system. These systems can survive many forest fires; some of these are estimated to be a staggering 80,000 years old. A recent public art project (Blue Trees) paints the trunks of aspen with a bio-degradable blue paint to call our attention to their vital role in our environment. This artwork layers many photographs of the forest, creating a larger-than-life aspen colony, and stretches the trees up to an exaggerated height, their bright golden leaves towering above us.