Saturday 11 October 2014

⚐⚑ what lies beneath

gathering at the Fishermans Chapel
from many corners 
a talk by Graham Harwood on the impact of shipping 
and other environmental hazards
on the delicate ecosystem along the Thames Estuary 
once a landfill site but now marshland
and Essex Wildlife Trust nature reserve
taking water samples 
measuring air quality and ambient sound
hooking up a geiger counter to an iphone
how blue is the sky with a
cyanometer?
as a drone flew above our heads
samphire, mugwort, fennel, wild apples, blackberries
a veritable feast for foragers
collating information
geotagging images
making a digital map 
the citizens data of historic detritus 
a base line beginning as the shipping lanes grow
                   

Saturday 4 October 2014

♣ green eyes

this tiny propeller plane
took us to Ireland for the day

to inspect some equipment
in the hospital that was 'nun run'
Bono's kids had been born there
the taxi driver told us
you can't go to Dublin without visiting 
a swift half pint
watching dapper men
shirts tucked in
flaked paint and the smell of ale
then home again