The past while I been diving into the research phase of the project, reading on the types of animals and plants that can be found in Richmond Nature Park. Which, according to various reports, is a biodiverse bog remnant. That led me to wonder what biodiversity means and its impact globally with issues such as extinction rate and bioresources. Then coming back to the local history of the park in connections to the physical and cultural development of the city. Here is a brief history of the park: in 1962, the idea for a nature park was first conceived and by 1968, a proposal was developed and submitted to the city. The original concept actually included a gun range but was later shot down by the public. In 1971, the Richmond Nature Park Committee was established and on November 14, 1976, the doors were officially opened. The Richmond Nature Park resides in the Greater Lulu Island Bog, one of the 21 historical bogs in Fraser Delta. The bogs or peatlands, to which they are categorized under, where formed over tens of thousands of years. They have been reduced in size and effected greatly by the recent developments such as the highways, auto mall and farm cultivation during the past few decades. If you want more information, you will find the 351 paged, detailed report of the Lulu Island Bog extremely helpful. However, I find that the more I research, the quieter these dates, numbers, and answers become in comparison to the knowledge found by walking through the park itself. There is unspeakable beauty found in rustling of the birch trees, the peak-a-boo of pine trees and the new growth in the cedars. There are stories in the patterns of the eaten Salal leaves, the crispness of the winter dried flowers (to which I still need to identify) and the little branch caves that sparks of home to fictional and imaginary creatures. A walk reveals the reality of the changes the park is undergoing due to human presence and developments spoken about in various reports and papers. They are made personal and serious through witnessing the cutting of the invasive cultivated blueberry plants to various degrees in efforts to preserve the bog’s biodiversity. As the beauty of nature draws one in, I am awakened again and again to the truth of the battle for environmental conservation by the sounds of the planes that flies across every few minutes, every day.
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Welcome!This blog is a visual journal of the artist residency taking place at Richmond Nature Park. Come take a look at what we been up to. Archives
October 2019
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