The ‘Spellbound by Nature Spell-kit’ was created for the youth and children of Nova Scotia, although it is hoped that it will be accessible and of interest to all ages. It is meant to encourage us to get outside and explore nature, to discover and name plants, insects, animals, in backyards and in communities. Spellbound by Nature was inspired by the book, The Lost Words, by Robert MacFarlane, illustrated by Jackie Morris, that conjured 20 nature words which were no longer in the Junior Oxford Dictionary, so children would learn and bring those words back into common use.
This ‘spell-kit’ was concocted by Nova Scotia writers and artists, conjuring some of the common words of Nova Scotia’s natural world. Artists and writers used their own creative ways to help others imagine these plants, animals and insects. Biology students and instructors from StFX University have also contributed, explaining more about each organism, linking birds to their calls to help identify them by their songs, suggesting where they may be found, what they look like, what they eat, and even examples of how they have informed biomimicry, the study of learning from, or mimicking nature.
In 2022, Spellbound by Nature will be coming to some of our local schools through partnerships with Arts Smarts and Writers in the Schools (WITS)! More information coming soon……
Happy browsing – and happy conjuring! https://spellbound.artshealthantigonish.org/