THE NORTH RIDING PROJECT

In the east the summer warmth of the Pacific blows in on the forests of these Sikhote-Alin mountains, and the larches and firs of the northern taiga mingle with the subtropical flora of Manchurian walnut, maple, cork and linden. Giant lianas, grapevines and lemon-scented magnolias writhe up from a forest floor where jasmine and barberry grow, and the autumn-flowering ginseng draws poachers trading in Chinese medicine. Nordic animals intrude on southern ones. Elk, wolves, lynx and wolverine encounter Asian black bears and the beautiful, near-extinct Amur leopard. Wild boar feed where the soaring Korean pine drops its nuts, and the Amur tiger feeds on the wild boar.

Thubron/Amur, 2021