Caddisfly

Water in the Landscape

In the winter months, friends post photos online of flooded roads and racing bulging rivers. My neighbour embarks on a spirited ‘welly dance’ in a bid to unblock the drain at the end of our lane. At the school gate there is chatter as people ask ‘Which way did you come?’ and ‘Did you drive through it?’.  A week ago a fire engine was called to pull out a car stuck in deep water under the A38 flyover.  Meanwhile, in summer lawns yellow and my elderly dad empties his dish water into a bucket explaining ‘that’s for the plants’.  

This project investigates our relationship with water as it moves through the landscape.    Plans are afoot to create soggy story walks to enjoy from the comfort of your home (wellies optional!), while collaborations with scientists and artists unpack what’s happening beneath our feet in ground – be it soggy or parched.  We meet pioneers of nature-based solutions and teeny tiny creatures living in ponds and puddles.  We roll up our sleeves and get stuck in to playfully explore how we can nudge our dialogue with water in the landscape towards resilience.

Farming in Transition

Shortly before Christmas, a friend described preparing her son’s shepherd costume for the school nativity.  The following day, at drop off, I saw a child smile brightly as he crossed the road clutching a crook at least a foot taller than himself.  As the community gathered to celebrate, the children bring a gentle and sweet reminder of human-animal relationships stretching back through the centuries. Globally, and here in this green and pleasant landscape, our lives, landscapes and animals have shaped one another for millenia. 

But there’s media talk about grazing density and shifting baselines.  A retired farmer tells me of ground, once drained to stretch productive hectares, now rewetted.  Somewhere, I hear of a farmer hiding his tractor from his aging father to avoid conflict at it sitting idle. 

This project dialogues with food producers, policy makers, scientists and consumers to understand how environmental change and policy revision are shaping farm work, commercial decision-making, and public expectations.   It’s your chance to step into the boots of a Westcountry food producer.