projects by Perdita Phillips


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Mapping Data: Performing Landscape symposia

Wish I had been there…

http://blog.humlab.umu.se/?p=1356

multidisciplinary seminar to take place in HUMlab on December 16th.  1-5pm.
16 December 2009, 1 – 5pm, 
HUMlab, Umeå University, Sweden

The seminar  explored questions such as: How does GPS affect our understanding of landscape? What are the cultural implications of GPS and GIS for the audience and for the mapmaker? How do we annotate and story tell? How can geographical data be explored, compared, analysed and animated over time?

Speakers:

  • Paul Arthur, HUMlab Research Fellow. Virtual Perth, Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative.
  • Jen Southern, Artist, University of Lancaster, UK. — Jen Southern (UK), Jen Hamilton and Chris St Amand (Canada) had done Running Stitch artwork for Umea as part of the Open Source Embroidery exhibition at BildMuseet
  • Per Sandström, SLU, Forest Resource Management.
Fredrik Palm, QVIZ, HUMlab, Umeå University (uses GPS to track reindeer movement in Sweden)

Southern, Hamilton & St Amand (2009) Running Stitch, Umea (HUMlab detail)

Southern, Hamilton & St Amand (2009) Running Stitch, Umea (HUMlab detail).

This seminar was supported by HUMlab in partnership with BildMuseet at Umeå University.

Lake Clifton thrombolites declared a critically endangered community

Well are they dead or are they alive? There have certainly been considerable changes in the microbial communities in the thrombolites in the last 10 years. Yesterday the Lake Clifton thrombolites were listed as critically endangered under the Federal EPBC Act under the following criteria

  • Criterion 2 as critically endangered because its geographic distribution is very restricted and the nature of its distribution makes it likely that the action of a threatening process could cause it to be lost in the immediate future;
  • Criterion 3 as critically endangered because the loss or decline of functionally important species is very severe;
  • Criterion 4 as critically endangered because the reduction in integrity of critical ecological processes is very severe; and
  • Criterion 5 as endangered because the rate of continuing detrimental change is severe and is projected to continue in the immediate future.

“The Lake Clifton thrombolite community is subject to numerous threats, most of which originate outside the ecological community itself. Scientific research suggests that there has been significant environmental degradation at Lake Clifton since at least the early 1990s (Moore, 1990; WA CALM, 2004a). This is despite the Peel-Yalgorup System being recognised as a wetland of international importance, and Lake Clifton being situated within the Yalgorup National Park (Moore, 1990).

…the thrombolite community occupies much of the eastern edge of Lake Clifton, which in turn forms the eastern boundary of the Yalgorup National Park. This means that the thrombolites are adjoined by private rural and rural-residential land holdings, which contributes significantly to the level of threat they face (Moore, 1990). The vegetation buffer zone between these properties and the foreshore of Lake Clifton is considered inadequate (Davies and Lane, 1996). The greatest current threat to the ongoing growth and survival of the Lake Clifton thrombolite community appears to be increased salinity due to increased groundwater extraction and altered groundwater flows, followed by increased nutrient levels coming from adjacent agricultural and rural-residential properties. If Lake Clifton becomes permanently hypersaline, it is likely that the patterns of thrombolite growth, faunal diversity and waterbird useage will also be affected. It is possible that the international scientific significance of the Lake will also be lost as a direct result (Knott et al., 2003). Current studies suggest that the change to a permanent state of hypersalinity may have already occurred (Alexander and John, 2008a).

Pollution, changes to surrounding vegetation, sedimentation and the introduction of fauna not native to the area also negatively impact on the ecological community (WA CALM, 2004a). People visiting Lake Clifton also directly impact by crushing or trampling the thrombolite structures, which are very fragile. Finally, possible impacts of climate change must also be considered.”

http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicshowcommunity.pl?id=96&status=Critically+Endangered

Julie Mehretu’s complexity and immanence

Julie Mehretu Immanence

irn bru bird (bro)

kingfisher project Kelvinbridge Glasgow 2006 by Jethro Brice

The do-it-yourself guide to urban wildlife habitat regeneration or, how to make a kingfisher from a discarded IRN BRU can by Jethro Brice

see http://www.instructables.com/id/kingfisher-project%2c-Kelvinbridge%2c-Glasgow%2c-2006/

yarn bombing

A lot of artists are using the www.instructables.com website to post DIY artworks and projects. I’m quite fond of yarn bombing around light poles but this one is even better

comfy shopping