This was commissioned as public art by the City of San Francisco. It is installed in the new Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The salt marshes of India Basin, just beyond this building, are among the most productive ecosystems on earth - alive and active - a stark contrast to this building that focuses on death. But the salt marshes are also a place of transitions - from ocean to land, fresh to salt - and always changing with the tide. The grasses, birds and sky reflect in the shallow waters. This building echoes that changing environment in that it is also a place of transition and reflection. Over it all, the Heron stands regal and tall, looking to the distance, taking the long view, bearing witness, still and watchful, offering a sense of peace and protection.