EARTH ART STUDIO
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​A Google Virtual learning Nature Tour produced for COP26

What is COP26?
COP26 was the 26th UN Climate Change Conference that took place between 1-12 November 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland.

Of note COP stands for Conference of the Parties, and the summit was attended by countries that signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

​This COP summit was hosted in partnership between the UK and Italy. 
​COP26 was cited as a critical meeting because mandates were to set out more ambitious goals to assist in ending climate change as agreed under the Paris Agreement. Find out more about COP26 goals


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​Project artists, Sylvia Grace Borda and J.Keith Donnelly, decided for this event to create their own visual artwork and tribute to COP26.

The two designed a Google Virtual nature tour in the form of a circle, the symbol used as part of COP and as a tribute to their collaborative partnership happening in Ethiopia. 
The circle is also emblematic of their work being created in the 'Trees for Life' partnership. The circle for their Oromo collaborative represents balance and in the West it represents the element, Oxygen. Without their being a balance of Nature - our access to resources including Oxygen produced by plants and clean water would not be possible. The health of flora is key for life on Earth.

Of note the word “ecosystem” begins with the prefix “eco,” which is derived from the Greek word “oiko(s),” meaning house or home. Thus, ecosystem refers to a system of the home or system for the Earth. We need to develop new ways of thinking, exploring, seeing and relating to our wider home, Earth. Our relationship to Earth needs to be understood as whole and interlinked. The artists realised as such the circle is also a key symbol for many communities representing Earth. 

The set of immersive 360' panospheres, created across Scotland, profile flora from trees to kelp in order to showcase their relevance in their local areas. The pictures also show manmade structures from castles to car parks. What we see in these latter images is that even with these imposed structures on the land - flora continues to thrive. In order to create an ecological balance or a 'home system' that is in balance - we need to embrace our flora and natural surroundings as part of our wider definition of home. The ability to add flora density to our home and communities is a key aspect in mitigating climate change. As we work towards fighting against climate change - we must embrace ourselves, communities, and Nature and find our own circle or cycle of activities that can move us towards a balanced future.It is hoped through the following panosphere images you can explore and see places that depict both balance and imbalance in terms of Nature. ​The inclusion of Nature as an equal in our current and future urban and rural planning  rather than as an afterthought will ultimately make all the difference - in how we all thrive.

To view the complete COP26 Circle see URL:  https://tinyurl.com/4kn4h99t



An example panosphere from the COP26 collection is included below
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​​https://tinyurl.com/33jrcrpw

Garelochhead is a small town on the Gare Loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland - where when the tide is out - the local beaches reveal a wealth of kelp forests. What most people do not recognize is that like land based forests, kelp forests are equally important in the battle against climate change. Kelp can store carbon in a similar manner to trees. In addition, kelp forests act as a vital buffer against storms for low lying coastlines and also provide a crucial habitat for fish and shellfish
Learn more about Scottish biodiversity

Scottish Government Policies on Biodiversity support
www.gov.scot/policies/biodiversity/

Scottish Environmental Protection Agency Plan
https://www.sepa.org.uk/environment/biodiversity/

Scotland's Biodiversity Plan
www.nature.scot/scotlands-biodiversity/scottish-biodiversity-strategy
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Research Scotland Portal 
​Access public documents related to climate change, biodiversity loss and the state of waters and oceans 
https://research-scotland.ac.uk
Who’s behind the project?
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​Trees for Life project has been supported by the British Council’s Creative Commissions 2021 programme. This was a series of creative commissions exploring climate change through art, science and digital technology for presentation at COP26.

Trees for Life continues as an active artists-community collaboration and illustrates that land rehabilitation doesn’t need to be expensive. We understand the benefit of trees to the land and that people can assist in creating better soils and future-proofing sites from climate issues by planting trees. 
 
Trees for Life also highlights that sustainability is dependent on the motivation and generosity of citizens, communities, artists, and scientists working together to redefine the challenges of climate change and to foster the next generation with the idea that we can make an impact through climate art and other creative approaches.

Tree Circles and Trees for Life
 project are co-led by climate design and media artists, Sylvia Grace Borda (Canada) and J.Keith Donnelly (UK) together with partners Ethiopia (ROBA – Rural Organisation for the Betterment of Agro-Pastoralists ) in the UK (Dundee UNESCO City of Design, Dundee City Council, Scotland),  and Canada (Institute for Sustainable Horticulture, Kwantlen Polytechnic University) to creatively respond to global issues of climate change.  ​

  • Home
  • Trees for Life
    • The Project
    • Creating Living Artworks
    • Satellite Images
    • Tree Nursery
    • Field Notes from ROBA
    • Youth reflections
    • Climate reflections
    • Elder Knowledge
    • Acknowledging Indigenous Rights
    • Oromo tree circle
    • The Lion
    • Adopt a Tree
    • Celebrations
    • What's Next
    • Symposium
  • TREE CIRCLES
    • Plant Graffiti
    • TREE CIRCLES
    • Partners
  • Internet of Nature
    • Internet of Nature
    • COP26
    • City of Dundee
  • Exhibition kits
    • Exhibition kits
    • Resources
    • Tree stories making the news
  • About Us