Flyover State explores the ways in which humans engage with plants and animals in a hypothetical future commenting on current-day issues. In the American Midwest, the industrialization of unsustainable agriculture practices drastically affects living beings in the form of physiological changes, behavioral shifts, and mass extinctions. Chemical runoff from farmland and crops pollutes water sources, causing creatures who once called this land home to find it uninhabitable. In 2081, a water contaminant specialist working for the State of Nebraska finds an unknown animal and decides to attempt rehabilitation. This newfound companionship and search for identity raises questions of our relationship with the natural world, climate change, and our current methods of producing food. 

This project has deep roots in the American Midwest. The Sandhill Crane is at the narrative and visual artistic forefront of the project as it serves as an iconic symbol of Nebraska. Currently, the cranes flock to the Platte River on their annual migration, contributing to our state’s ecotourism industry and global perception. We are praised for our agriculture, and we are recognized for our cranes. Can the two coexist? Reversing the roles of puppetry typically found in wildlife rehabilitation spaces, Flyover State raises questions about the sustainability of Nebraska’s agriculture practices and urges the audience to consider the implications of habitat loss in conjunction with censorship and lost knowledge.