Wild Wednesday
‘Wild Wednesdays’ are a collaborative, inclusive HASS-led initiative to support and inspire creative and community engagement with the natural environment of the Streatham Campus. In a series of seven walks from February to September, we will explore the campus together from diverse perspectives, gathering impressions, notes, words, leaves and photos. These will be made into seven illustration-maps by our two artists, Sam Godfrey and Rebecca Lockyear, which we will be able to share, leaving a trace of our paths and encounters.
Credit - Clara Kleininger-Wanik
Join us on a series of walks through Streatham campus. Everybody is welcome! Please view details below and register your attendance.
Date: Tuesday 24 February
Time: 3.30pm
Meeting: Greenhouse in the Students Guild
In this collaboration, we will join the Out in Nature Project on their event. Join us too!
The Out in Nature trail is a collaboration between University of Exeter students, researchers, the grounds team, and visitors. To think queerness and nature together is a powerful intervention into persistent and harmful ideas that LGBTQ+ identities are somehow ‘against nature’. The trail invites you to explore the queerness of nature as well as LGBTQ+ history on campus.
This event will include an introduction to the trail as well as an opportunity to engage creatively with the theme of queer nature. Tea, coffee, and cake will be provided.
Please register through FIXR: https://fixr.co/event/queer-natures-creative-workshop-tickets-982552331?lang=en-US
Credit - Out in Nature project
Date: Wednesday, 25th March
Time: 4.00 pm
Meeting: see map, in front of East Park Block L
Walk length: 40 mins
Learn about the critters that live amongst us on campus, and be part of our journey as we bring together the worlds of citizen science and collaborative art! Join ecologist Rosalind Shaw in an out and back route, which will allow time to talk about how the University is working to become more nature positive, contemplate the different habitats we see, and search for wildlife such as invertebrates and add them to the campus wildlife recording project hosted on iNaturalist.
Ros provides expert advice on biodiversity monitoring, measurement, protection, enhancement and recovery. Responsible for the development and delivery of strategy, plans, policies and processes to ensure the University delivers on its environmental net gain commitment in Strategy 2030 and meets the commitments made under its Nature Positive Universities Pledge.
Please sign up for the walk by writing an e-mail to Clara Kleininger-Wanik, ck523@exeter.ac.uk
Walk accessibility:
M is meeting point, blue circle disabled parking
Yellow - route
The route is on a surfaced path throughout; however it is quite a steep slope and with limited seats. We plan to walk slowly and with frequent stops.
Date: Wednesday 22nd of April
Time: 3.30pm
Meeting: Multifaith Centre
Have you ever wondered what happens to a fallen tree on campus? Join Exeter University’s Head of Grounds to find out how the Grounds team manages the thousands of plants and trees across campus, from caring for around 10,000 mature trees to digitising species records for research and conservation. The walk will lead through the Lower Hoopern Valley, which is managed as a wildlife site, discuss how it is being turned into a wet grassland habitat and the changing way that an ornamental landscape is viewed by its users as a resource to be enjoyed. You might also find out that bees and flowers have a kind of electric conversation, with flowers briefly changing charge after a bee visit.
The walk will be led by David Evans. David is Head of Grounds, has wide experience of outdoor space management both in agriculture, literary establishments and public open spaces. He has been at the University within the Grounds team for 12 years and leading it for four.
Accessibility:
The walk will start and finish at the Multifaith Centre entrance on the forum, walk down through Reed Hall gardens across the top of the lawn at Washington Singer, drop into the Lower Hoopern Valley and then return to the Multifaith Centre. The walk will lead through a variety of surfaces, some hard but majority soft. There will be sloping ground with potential trip hazards such as exposed roots.
Please sign up for the walk by writing an e-mail to Clara Kleininger-Wanik, ck523@exeter.ac.uk
Date: Wednesday 6th May
Time: 12:30 - 13:15
Meeting: Queen’s Building Coffee Bar, Walk length 45 minutes
Lead by Rebecca Lockyear: Wildlife and Landscape Artist walking the route through her paintings.
Rebecca enjoyed a year researching, recording and sketching rare specimen trees and plants on campus, to create paintings that reflect the seasons. She now has 2 interactive artworks that celebrate the sites rich botanical history.
She has plotted the plants, trees and monuments from her paintings onto Google Maps, so that it is possible to find the plants and trees for yourself. She will show you the diverse range of shapes, textures and colours that inspired her paintings.
The walk will be done at a leisurely pace, pointing out trees and flowers on the way.
Walk start: Queen’s Building Coffee Bar then follow footpaths to Reed Pond and along Prince of Wales Rd returning by the woodland pathway to the east of Stoker Road and finishing at the Forum. The walk is split between asphalt and dirt paths. There are steps down to Reed Pond, however an alternative diversion on asphalt can be arranged. The final part of the walk has a steep incline; there will be opportunities to pause during the walk but no seats.
Rebecca Lockyear: Wildlife and Landscape Artist, Summitpaintings.com
Please sign up for the walk by writing an e-mail to Clara Kleininger-Wanik, ck523@exeter.ac.uk
Credit - Rebecca Lockyear