Art with Nature

Navigating Local Ecology

On September 15th, 2024, 35 residents from the local area came together for a day to explore our local coastal ecology through foraging, food, and art making. We connected with neighbours to discover what nature has to offer and explored how our natural surroundings have historically sustained our communities.

The 150th anniversary of the wreck of the SS Atlantic passenger steamship presented the opportunity to use history as a starting point: What do we do with this tragic and heroic past, when our community came together for a massive rescue and residents opened their hearts and their homes to over 400 rescued guests? How can we learn from their generosity and their knowledge of local resources, as they shared their last remaining provisions and cared for the unexpected newcomers? And how can we respect and integrate the knowledge and experiences of the Mi’kmaq who first populated this area, and the Treaties of Peace and Friendship they signed with the Wolastoqiyik and the British Crown in 1725 almost 150 years before the SS Atlantic wrecked?

So many layers of our local past are relevant in creating community and navigating a sustainable and collaborative future.

 On September 15th, we headed from East Coast Outfitters in Lower Prospect to Marrs Island (the site of the SS Atlantic wreck) by kayak and boat, exploring some of these layers and sharing knowledge about different seaweeds, coastal vegetables, seafood, and ecological foraging. We photographed what we saw, in and out of the water, and collected items that would contribute to our wild foods meal created by Fred Dardenne and to the day’s art-making lead by David Adler, Nathalie George, Ariella Pahlke, Lynette Richards, and Denise Sooley.

Stay tuned to see what we discovered about nature, sustainable foraging, and wild food recipes, as well as our creations, inspired by the exploration of local ecology and history. Postcards featuring our discoveries and creations will soon be available in local businesses and through the SS Atlantic Interpretation Centre.