2022—Nanaimo, B.C.
Originally presented through BC Culture Days, Words of an Ecosystem was developed by Shelley Stein-Wotten as a collaboratively written story that explores the human relationship with B.C.’s most endangered, yet most ecologically diverse, plant and animal community – the Garry oak ecosystem. Shelley, a writer and 2022 BC Culture Days ambassador, and community members gathered online August 23, 2022 at an event hosted by Wordstorm Society of the Arts to explore narratives about committing to restoring and sustaining our relationship with this special homeland that has nourished and supported generations of people, plants, and animals. Shelley read five original narratives representing five different chapters that imagined both our current and potential connections to Garry oak ecosystems: isolation, imbalance, repair, connection, and reciprocity. Following each chapter, community members made their contributions to the story on a Zoom whiteboard. The chapters were mounted on boards and displayed at Vancouver Island Regional Library’s Nanaimo North branch for the public to contemplate: where might our imaginations lead us to engage in acts of stewardship and begin to write our own parts of the story that help restore Garry oak ecosystems in our community?
BC Culture Days' Earth Endeavours Ambassador Series is a collection of community-engaged creative projects calling the public to action. The 2022 ambassadors invited everyone to explore their relationship with the Earth and each other, navigating a way towards a healthier future together. The projects considered a range of topics from discussions on nature, the climate crisis, post-pandemic recovery, and Truth and Reconciliation.
A series of micro-documentaries detailing the results of the ambassadors’ Earth Endeavours projects was released in Fall 2022. To view the documentary about Words of an Ecosystem, click here.
The story is currently on display at VIRL's Nanaimo Harbourfront branch February 1-28, 2023.
