Book launch: Wild Seas, Wilder Cities
The vital role of seagrass
Did you know that below the surface of our Solent waters grow beautiful ‘meadows’ of seagrass – the only flowering plant able to live in seawater and a vital part of our marine environment?
Or at least they used to. Over the last century, dredging and other destructive activities have left an underwater wasteland in their place. The UK has now lost around 90% of its seagrass, and sadly the Solent is no exception.
But ever since the dinosaurs roamed the earth, seagrass has been working hard to protect our ecosystem. It creates safe habitats that provide food and shelter for all manner of marine life, from seahorses to young fish. It also helps to slow down the tides, reducing coastal erosion. And all the while it absorbs incredible amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere – in fact, seagrass is thought today to be one of our most important natural solutions to climate change.
Local Creatives Take Action
When they learned about the importance of seagrass and the devastation to our local habitat, a group of Portsmouth creatives decided to take action.
Local authors Helen and Richard Salsbury founded the literary environmental action group Pens of the Earth five years ago and, on 21 October, it will launch a new book dedicated to raising awareness of the issue and raising money to support restoration.
Wild Seas, Wilder Cities is a positive collection of stories, poems and articles written by local authors, beautifully illustrated by local artists. More than 50 contributors have given their time freely to the project, and all funds raised from sales will go to the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust’s Solent Seagrass Restoration Project. Thanks to this project, the barren areas around our shores are slowly and steadily being replanted with seagrass seeds for the future.
The book itself promises a joyful mixture of poems, stories, articles and illustrations – many of which have been through performance at events such as the Great Big Green Week and the Portsmouth Climate Festival, where they have received excellent reviews.
Launch Event
The launch of Wild Seas, Wilder Cities will be marked by a special event at the Lens Studio in Portsmouth’s Guildhall on the evening of Monday 21 October.
Among other things the event will featuring spoken word performances from writers as well as some short talks about our environment.
One of the speakers is local textile artist Jane Andreoli, who will also be displaying her unusual display of ‘litter art’. Last year, Jane had asked her friends and family if she could have the rubbish they would normally throw away at Christmas.
Finding herself inundated with bubble wrap, envelopes, foil and soft plastic in every colour imaginable, Jane set to work turning it into useful items and the result was a dazzling display of bags, purses and pencil cases among other unique items. These will be on sale at the event, with the money once again going to the seagrass restoration project.
How To Get Involved
Thanks to the work of Helen and Richard, Jane and many other local creatives, Portsmouth residents have a unique opportunity this month to support the restoration of our Solent seagrass meadows.
The launch event at the Guildhall on Monday 21 October is open to all, with tickets priced at just £6 from the Guildhall’s website and all profits going to the restoration project.
Of course, you can also purchase a copy of the book itself either for yourself or as a Christmas gift. At the launch event you can pick it up for the special price of £10. Alternatively, you can pre-order a copy, or buy it after launch, for collection or delivery from Southsea’s Pigeon Books at £10.99.
Or why not treat yourself or someone you love to a piece of Jane’s unique ‘litter art’? You can purchase something from her display at the event, or get in touch with her via her website. More background and information on the project can be found at Pens of the Earth.
Did you know?
· Typically found in shallow coastlines, seagrasses form stunning undersea meadows and provide food and shelter for a huge array of marine life.
· The Solent’s seagrass meadows are of international importance, supporting species such as sea anemones, jellyfish, sea slugs, pipefish and seahorses; fish such as cod and sea bass; and cuttlefish who visit the meadows to breed.
· Seagrasses have become a vital ally in the fight against climate change thanks to their amazing ability to absorb massive amounts of carbon dioxide.
· They also help protect our shores from coastal erosion, thanks to their long leaves acting as a barrier that slows the flow of water.
· The Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust has so far planted over 55,000 seagrass seeds to help to restore these amazing habitats towards their historic levels.
