Mangrove Sentinels

“Mangrove Sentinels” draws a poetic parallel between two kinds of guardians in the Florida Keys: the mangrove forests that protect shorelines from storms and erosion, and the firefighters who protect the community from disaster. Sculptor Patricia Neff created twin copper sculptures, each standing six feet tall, that frame the entrance to the North Key Largo Fire Station.

The sculptures depict abstracted red mangrove trees, their arching prop roots woven together to suggest both structural strength and organic flexibility. Neff chose copper as her primary material for its ability to develop a rich green patina over time, a transformation that mirrors the living, changing character of the mangrove ecosystems prevalent throughout North Key Largo.

The artist spent several weeks kayaking through the mangrove channels of Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, sketching and photographing the root structures that would inform the sculptures’ forms. The resulting works capture the architectural complexity of mangrove roots while maintaining a clean, modern aesthetic appropriate to the public building setting. The project was completed through the AIPP program with additional support from the Monroe County Land Authority.