The Keeper’s Diary

The prefix ‘eco’ comes from the Greek word oikos, meaning home. In this way ecology can be understood as the study of home. The many layers of any one place – social, historical, geological, cultural, etc – make up a complex web of interconnections. Through the attentive observation of these many different layers, and by extension their very different literacies, I am interested to know deeply this one place, as an example of how to know any place.

Hence it is through personal observation, coupled with the the series of programmes developed for the House, that this research is being undertaken. And it is into these paths of investigation that I invite you.

Taking on the responsibilities of managing our small family farm lead me to a re-examination of how our ways of living relate to the ecosystems on which we depend. Realising the extent of the ecological issues we face was both traumatic and personally transformative. It was important to me to do what I could within my skills and resources.

These early investigations created a desire to quietly take note of the world around me, and the result is a suite of notes from The Keeper, which shall be uncovered over time here in this space.

Update –
The Keeper is currently relaunching into getting the many notes and photos from the Keeper’s Diary onto these pages. Please check back here soon if you would like to see some of the background work to the development of House of Wonder to-date.

 

A cicada nymph, unearthed while gardening. From this I discovered that New Zealand cicadas live underground for seven years. Some US cicadas live from 13 to 17 years underground.