#503: Local Distinctiveness

Common Ground has a "local distinctiveness" section to their website.

With the increasing homogenisation of the landscape and culture and the rise of AI slop, it's important to cherish those 'local' differences which can be explored using local fieldwork.

#475: 'Spirit of Place' in the wetlands

 A cross posting from my Geography in/on Film blog.

A new short film, featuring Mark Rylance 

Written and Directed by Jack Cooper Stimpson 

Produced by Lewis Brierly, Izzy Meikle-Small, Jack Cooper Stimpson 

Executive produced by On the Edge and made in association with the wetland conservation charity WWT (Wildfowl and Wetland Trust).

A brief summary of the plot:

Athel and Edward enjoy visiting the wetlands. Edward likes watching the birds, whilst Athel seems to have a much deeper connection to the landscape. When Athel makes a discovery, she is forced to re-examine what the wetlands mean to her. 

A meditation on identity, nature and wellington boots. 

The story explores human identity, discovery, and the mystery of these under-represented eco-systems.

A note from the director:

“Our wetland habitats were not on my radar prior to this project and it has been fascinating researching them and learning more about their quirks and characteristics, alongside their scientific function. Putting that on screen has been a wonderful challenge.

Now, more than ever, we need stories that will inspire audiences to acknowledge and exist in nature. Not apart from it. On The Edge are a company working at this intersection and I could not have hoped for a better team to have partnered with. I hope this film entertains and inspires audiences, whilst also encouraging them to go and explore their local wetlands.”

#470: Weathering Collective

An organisation looking at the impact of our lives on the landscape and how it has been represented in art.

Check out their website.

I like how they refer to "the potent fictional constructs we call maps..." - something I discuss with Year 6 students.

#370: Norman Ackroyd RIP

Art will hopefully keep its place in the draft specification.

I was sorry to hear this evening of the passing of Norman Ackroyd on Monday: one of our very greatest landscape artists.

He was a remarkable printmaker and artist. He shared the laborious process of making his etchings in several documentaries.

Listen to this programme with Robert MacFarlane.

RIP the great artist Norman Ackroyd (1938-16.09.24): etcher-magician who conjured weather & light from metal & acid; his work constitutes one of the great visual records of this archipelago’s edges.
We travelled together—& I made this programme with him: https://t.co/Y5licHxpcP pic.twitter.com/8bQDR95Fph

— Robert Macfarlane (@RobGMacfarlane) September 18, 2024

Here's the first part of a documentary on his method featuring some of his art...

#180: Cynefin

The Geographical Association has produced a very useful resource for those who may want to explore the concept of Cynefin.

It's one of the resources created by the GA's Welsh Special Interest Group.

The idea of cynefin connects with themes of home, or 'habitat'.

Natural History in its various forms is likely to explore different habitats.

How much is the natural landscape around where we live a part of this cynefin? If something in it changes dramatically, our sense of 'home' is likely to be affected.

#121: Creativity required

I trawl through the mentions of GCSE Natural History on Twitter each month to see what people are saying and whether there is any news that is relevant. Back in June there was a mention of poetry, and I have now posted the first Natural History poem on the blog.

This tweet was from David Cooper, who writes about Place. Good to hear poetry being mentioned.

‘Poetry is hope in action’ (Clare Shaw): spent yesterday in & around @bristolmuseum discussing the new GCSE in Natural History & the need for young people to learn to love - a word that was used repeatedly & without apology - through culture & creativity as well as fact. pic.twitter.com/26yRJHkqBH

— David Cooper (@DrDavidCooper) June 18, 2023

I hope that teachers show a deal of creativity when it comes to creating their own school-specific resources.

Poetry is one way to achieve this.

Please share your favourite poems with a Natural History theme by commenting below.

#91: Concentrates of Place: a possible idea for an activity or resource

A cross posting from my LivingGeography blog.

I like this story from the National Geographic about a project aimed at capturing the concentrates of a place by a teacher: Marianne Braca.

The project was influenced by the work of Tanya Shadrick.

Marianne said:

Tanya describes her Concentrates of Place as a ‘deliberate way of honouring places and people.’

The project resonated with me, and as a geographer I am so interested in place. I also love the idea of collecting little pieces of a place and putting them in a tin for safekeeping, and I figured if I loved this idea my students would as well.”

Shadrick drew on memories from painful events in her life to develop the idea of capturing a place within a tin.

The idea of canning 'ideas' or intangible products reminds me of items such as this, which I purchased from Margate's Crab Museum recently as a novelty item.

Mostly because I couldn't afford to buy one of Piero Manzoni's cans which contain something a little less fresh.

It's also a reminder of one of the missions in the first Mission:Explore book, which invited people to sell the smell of a place.

This was incorporated into some resources from National Geographic some years back. It was really a privilege to work with National Geographic on several resources themed around Geography Awareness Week. We also produced a special Sustainable Seafood version of Mission:Explore Food and an entire booklet aimed at the week itself with special missions for exploring the neighbourhood.

They are still available on the website.

How about canning a particular biome or environment?