Local Carbon

12/09/2021

There's been a long silence on this FB page because I hit some impasses but I am beginning to resolve them in my head as it were.

If you find yourself near Symondsbury, do try to pause at the Estate yard to see my land art installation 'We Are Carbon'. It holds a few distinct strands of thought that will be expanded upon here. There until Sept 19th...there's an interesting climate change themed art exhibition in the gallery, too.

20/05/2021

Back in the autumn, I sowed some strips of wildflower seeds in that wasted patch of land at the end of Barrs Lane, as you approach the A35 underpass. Being locked down, it was a time for contemplation, so I placed three sculptures down there that caught the mood for me - 'Looking into the Abyss' for the pessimists, 'Mind Over Matter' for the pragmatists and 'Working in Harmony' for the positive thinkers. The whole enterprise was christened 'Working in Harmony with Nature' (which is what the farmers around here know all about). So, this image caught the situation on the ground in November - the first signs of germination but was it mainly grass? and since then it's been a long nervous wait to see how well the wild flower seeds might come through. Watch this space to see what has been happening or - better still - take a stroll down there and see for yourself.

15/05/2021

The quantification of carbon captured within our local landscape, and the GHG emissions generated by what happens there is mind-bogglingly complex (which was no surprise to me). However, when I started to look at how solid the foundations were for the data I'd be using, it was a big shock to conclude that the first thing I chose to look at (hedgerows) was plagued with suspect data. Maybe it was a bad idea to start with hedges but it was an obvious place to start as it had become a personal passion. At least everyone does agree that the data is thin, but sadly that does not stop people making outrageous claims. My original intention remains. How will climate change concerns impact the nature of our local landscape? Whether we are confident in the data or not is merely an extra complication - some dramatic changes are being driven our way.

22/02/2021

My son Simon was being introduced to my hedge laying activities last week. As always, a video emerged. We take considerable pride in the condition of our hedges around here, and they really do matter in the landscape and in much more. I collect pleacher heels as trophies.
https://www.facebook.com/simon.calder.5/videos/10103960061492190/

29/01/2021

Its time to estimate the carbon sequestration that is contributed from those hedges, but first some recent history as context. Most of these hedges have been rejuvenated in recent years to create a dense growth habit. Here is that story in one simple picture.

27/01/2021

Climate Change Questions:
How much carbon does the land soak up each year?
What part do the hay meadows play?
What about those woodlands? And those hedgerows?

Then, how much Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions do we get from the cattle and sheep that graze those fields?
I'm on a journey to find out the answers to these and many more questions.

26/01/2021