Tidal Kinships: Sharing and Caring for Rhythmic Human and Non-Human Estuarine Ecologies
摘要
Coastal margins are zones of profound interaction, shifting and shaping exchanges between land and sea. The liminal spaces of estuaries and tidal flats are especially conversive as their waters ebb and flow in ceaseless rhythm-patterns and more-than-human entanglements. Estuarine landscapes are keystone ecosystems, providing feeding and nesting areas for migratory birds, nurseries for important fisheries, and coastal protection. Because of their strategic positions that offer sites for modern infrastructure, they are also impacted by human development, waste and destruction, and stand on the front line of climate change. This chapter outlines our collaborative project Tidal Timespace which deep maps two distinct tidal places: Bahía Adair (Mexico) and the Severn Estuary (UK), both of which have been known to one or other author since early childhood. We outline our interdisciplinary methods which draw upon arts, sciences, cultural geography, ethnography, autotopographical writing, and environmental humanities. We interweave the biocultural specificities of place, ecologies of memory, and cultures of care in the form of artists’ books and an immersive art installation. By comparing these two tidal landscapes and our deep love for them, we explore how stories of shared care of place can become part of a wider process of ecological healing.