Leave it to Me

North Vancouver BC, 2016

The sculpture “Leave it to Me” located at the new Lynn Valley United Church located on Mountain Highway North Vancouver is informed by the species Acer Macrophyllum Pursh, commonly known as the Big Leaf Maple. It is the largest and fastest growing maple in western Canada and has the largest leaves of any Canadian Maple. It is common to the Coast Forest Region with the northern extent of its range at 52 degrees latitude.

The new Lynn Valley United Church and housing development is on the edge of Hastings Creek which runs through North Vancouver. Its Riparian zone is the natural habitat for the Big Leaf Maple. As our urban areas densify, it essential that our community’s urban forests are respected, protected and encouraged to flourish.

The intent of the sculptural work “Leave it to Me” is to acknowledge publicly the importance of protecting our natural urban landscape. The scale and reflective material finish engages the pedestrian and mobile viewer with a poetic statement about the preciousness of both our urban and natural habitats. It is impressive enough to engage the vehicular viewers’ attention at 40km per hour.