In light of this, we plan to launch a webinar series starting in autumn 2024, providing a platform for anyone interested in natureculture interpretation. Our goal remains to bring together researchers and practitioners, with each webinar featuring a concrete case or project presentation, followed by an open discussion.
Nature interpretation Lab Webinar #1
Where: Online
When: Wednesday October 16th, 13.00-14.30
Understanding, co-creating and interpreting transformative experiences
The first webinar will take place on October 16th. Associate Professor Andrew Butler will give a short presentation on his ongoing project, “Foraging and Crafting Knowledge: Going Beyond Walking, Seeing, and Being.” And they ask “what does the landscape offer up, that most of us, even trained observers of the landscape overlook?”
Understanding through direct engagement with the landscape
In this project Andrew and his colleagues go beyond just walking, seeing and being in the landscape to engage with a series of foragings and doings. In order to understand and reconnect to our surroundings we need to directly engage with the landscape.
Being in a site is central for understanding the landscape; to understand the detail, the overlooked, the undesigned and unplanned. Developing intimate connections with a places also help us understand the spontaneous change that characterizes the landscape, change we need to realise we cannot control.
A couple of questions the project asks will draw out interesting practices many nature interpreters already do:
- How can we reframe the weeds, the waste, and the unwanted?
Not only can we use foraging as a practice for developing a heightened understanding of our surroundings, but the gathered material can act as source for our creative profession. What can we create from our surroundings, how can the dandelions be used for weaving baskets, will rosebay willow herb fibres produce a sustainable cordage, are alder cones suitable for making dyes?
We hope to have a stimulating discussion that may connect theory and practice in creative ways!
The webinar will be in English.
Register here if you would like to attend.