An ancient scent

Because my work is an intersection of art and science (with the hope of inspiring conservation), I like to tell people about the scientific marvel of rain. It is produced from a microscopic soil bacteria located all over the world, called actinomycetes. The bacteria produce a chemical signal (geosmin) to attract small animals that spread its spores.

How old is the smell of rain? HALF A BILLION years old. The smell of rain has wafted through the nostrils of dinosaurs and landed on the earliest ferns and mosses. It is part of our collective planetary story. 

It is also a personal story for each human. A person who grew up in the woods will have a different memory of rain than someone who grew up in the desert, due to the plant oils in the soil that mix with the geosmin. Thus, rain reminds us of PLACE... places in time and space, both individually and collectively. 

Biologically speaking, humans can pick up on geosmin in smaller amounts than sharks can pick up on blood in the water. The smell of rain triggers the hope of survival and promise in plants and animals — and has for half a billion years.

That is why it is called yesterday’s rain. I hope to connect people with the ancient, unfolding, collective story on this planet.