When Zora Neale Hurston described a hurricane descending on the Everglades in her masterpiece Their Eyes Were Watching God, she wrote that Òthe sea was walking the earth with a heavy heel." While little can tame such violent storms, mangrove forests can soften their footsteps. These dense forests hug FloridaÕs coastline up through the Everglades and along the Gulf of Mexico, creating a phalanx between the ocean and the land.

The most common mangrove variety, Red Mangroves, are known for their distinctive prop roots that arch above the water like flying buttresses and slow storm surges and tidal waves. Mangrove forests also provide homes for a dazzling array of animals. Many of FloridaÕs most iconic creatures, from the roseate spoonbill to the American crocodile, call mangrove forests home.

MangroveÕs composition was inspired by Austrian artist Ludwig Heinrich JungnickelÕs 1908 frieze for the Palais Stoclet childrenÕs nursery in Brussels. The frieze, entitled ÒAnimal Paradise" depicts a pas de deux between animals and plants. As the shapes of flora and fauna conform to one another, they reveal the symbiotic relationship between the two kingdoms. To learn more about how we designed Mangrove, see our blog entry, Making Mangrove.