On Monday, Birdgirl and I visited Kiwi Gardens. At the entrance, visitors are greeted by a set of giant rabbits. Hares, in fact. A sign that displays information about the rabbits tells viewers that the hares are inspired by folk art lawn shadow ornaments.
Hares and Squares is intended to express visually the impact of alien species as represented by the giant European Hares (hares were introduced into Ontario in the early 20th century) on native biodiversity. The large squres represent the urban landscape intruding into the natural world.
The sign concludes with a question: How do we recognize when we have travelled too far beyond our boundaries, especially the limits of our place in nature? Hares and Squares asks us to continually explore and consider how human intervention impacts ecological health and ultimately our own well-being.
Certainly, ongoing disasters such as the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the Alberta Tarsands project suggest we have seriously overstepped the limits of reasaonable impact.
Hares and Squares is a project of Fieldwork land art exploration: http://www.fieldworkproject.com.
Interesting. I’ve noticed the invasives here, also, as I walk the trails and struggle to identify plants and flowers. It seems that about half of what I identify turns out to be invasive.
I like the way Birdgirl’s ecru sweater works as a bunny tail in the first photo.
Urban impact, invasives, hmm…yesterday I picked up two small pots of Houttuynia cordata at Canadian Tire for a buck-seventy-five each. Beautiful leaves but highly invasive. Will find a big pot to plant them in!
It’s amazing how much of what we take for granted as part of our natural community was actually introduced to the country, isn’t it?
LB, I think I saw those at CanTire too. They did look pretty interesting.