What does co mean to
‘Conservation means to me what it means to many conscientious individuals who in our everyday lives try to be caretakers respecting the landscape of our lives through preservation, recycling, repurposing. As an artist it means something more to me – to document, to praise, to create a love for the natural world through poetry and in idea photography because we tend to protect tion is n what we love and revere. Mary Oliver’s on 11½ acr words come to me: ‘Love yourself. land. The tr ‘The Then forget it. Then love the careful they a more we interfere with world’’ cessity warran nature, animals, and the environAndrena Zawinski have always be ment, the chances increase we will pay for as they please it down the road. The pursuit of more, probably barriers to t will be the downfall to our world; more doesn’t always tion is resp ers we give to loved ones, it makes delicious honey that we Ju ‘Conservation is consume and yet, most people stay away from the bee. If we our future, the mediinterfere with it, there is a chance to get stung. So, we leave it cine of our survival. If we and our future generations around a hive, they know they are in a dangerous situation becau se are going to survive we all there are more bees. I thought more was better? More bees mean s need deeper education about this subject, which at the we just want to continue their efforts. Our mentality is to pick more moment we know very little about.’ ey, the bees can work overtime. No, we need to value the honful c Jane Bayliss ey, save it, savour it, and conserve it. Easier said than done, Here, we I am guilty of it too. We tend to see the wastefulness of trees, p in other people, but not in ourselves. We need to ning coastal a remember what seems like a good idea today, ture the wonde doesn’t mean it’s good for tomorrow.’ my Romantic p Steven Kish acknowledging th ‘The history of nature reduce the impact conservation as a movement is ing future generati long and complex, but simply put: as will inherit. I’ve star an incredibly smart and powerful species dium for my paintin – so much so that we are able to destroy our possible. My ‘Driftw environment and undermine our own living contiles, window frame ditions – we have a practical and moral obligation If one of my paint to preserve habitats and species. In a former career, to trigger a chang I helped governments and companies internalise the ‘Conservation to ly I can get them ‘hidden’ environmental costs of their activities – which me is conserving someconsider how requires a lot of work. I also have a particular interest thing from the natural world such gestures in ecofeminism, which explores the parallels between for future generations to enjoy, to the jigsa the oppression of nature and the oppression of bit, tog women, both historically perceived as dark, neb- appreciate and cultivate into something we can all enjoy, treasure and ulous matters that can be appropriated and used – a very problematic way of thinking, ment in mind, body and soul.’ indeed.’ Ryan Mostert Lorelei Bacht 54
