Saturday, January 5, 2013

May the seeds you've planted bring forth abundance in 2013!



Allocasuarina duncanii germinating on 1% Agar at the Tasmanian Seed Conservation Centre. Allocasuarina do not shed seeds but winged fruits called samara. These usually contain a single seed but occasionally you get two sprouting from a single fruit.
Allocasuarina duncanii germinating on 1% Agar at the Tasmanian Seed Conservation Centre. Allocasuarina do not shed seeds but winged fruits called samara. These usually contain a single seed but occasionally you get two sprouting from a single fruit.

what seeds have you planted for 2013?

I've been reflecting hugely on my work on the 'homage to the seed' project as 2012 came to an end and 2013 begins to unfold. Its a project of many parts really. First and foremost I draw, paint and make work out of the musing and research I do on seeds.

Ive been writing about this and weighing up my direction and projects within the project.  More on this in posts to come!

On a different tangent I've been following the Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog for some time, recently posting on their work. Scanning their blog tonight I found articles I wish to share... and this statement under "about" first-off.

"Separated by half a world but united by their passion for agricultural biodiversity and the internet, Luigi Guarino and Jeremy Cherfas decided to create a space that would allow them to indulge their passions and maybe do some good. This blog is it.
Our aim is to collect in one place anything we find on the internet that relates somehow to the notion of agricultural biodiversity (or agrobiodiversity, though we don’t particularly like the word), a big tent but one that the whole of humanity shelters beneath. If that helps others to find things of interest, so much the better."
I noted this new year's resolution at their blog:

New Year Resolution No. 8: Disengage from the whole are-GMOs-good-or-bad? thing. It’s the wrong question, and nobody is listening anyhow.

That took me to the Nature Education KNOWLEDGE PROJECT:


History of Agricultural Biotechnology: How Crop Development has Evolved

By: Wieczorek Ania (Dept of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Hi at Manoa) & Wright Mark (Dept of Plant and Env Protection Sciences, University of Hi at Manoa) © 2012 Nature Education 
Citation: Wieczorek, A. M. & Wright, M. G. (2012) History of Agricultural Biotechnology: How Crop Development has Evolved. Nature Education Knowledge 3(10):9
Email


Soil: The Foundation of Agriculture

By: Sanjai J. Parikh (Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis) & Bruce R. James (Department of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park.) © 2012 Nature Education 
Citation: Parikh, S. J. & James, B. R. (2012) Soil: The Foundation of Agriculture. Nature Education Knowledge 3(10):2
Email



Soil, Agriculture, and Agricultural Biotechnology
  •  |  Lead Editor:  Sanjai J. Parikh

Sustainable Agriculture

By: Brodt Sonja (UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program and Agricultural Sustainability Institute), Six Johan (Department of Plant Sciences, UC), Feenstra Gail (UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program and Agricultural Sustainability Institute), Ingels Chuck (University of California Cooperative Extension, Sacramento County) & Campbell David (Department of Human and Community Development, UC) © 2011 Nature Education 
Citation: Brodt, S., Six, J., Feenstra, G., Ingels, C. & Campbell, D. (2011) Sustainable Agriculture. Nature Education Knowledge 3(10):1


There's some serious reading in those links... and important things to consider!

I'll finish with this pdf I put together from photos taken straight from the TV screening of David Attenborough's Kingdom of Plants in November last year of ABC TV. Its a 3-part series and during the final show there was a brief overview of the Kew Garden's Millennium Seedbank Partnership.




I was excited to see Attenborough tell the story of a plant I had been fascinated by in the greenhouse during my three week residency in 2011 onsite at the Seedbank. 

Also filmed was Wolfgang Stuppy who'd been my contact person at the MSB. As a seed morphologist he is often called on to talk about the work being done onsite and to explain the world of seeds.

New posts at my Visual Eclectica blog and Studio Archives blog refer to early 2013 plans... its off to a very busy start in terms of prep for an exhibition and other projects to come whilst also traversing a major life change involving selling a home and finding a new residence.

If I'm a bit absent from the blogs in the coming months you'll know why!

cheerio till next time!
Sophie

9 comments:

Rosaria Williams said...

Happy new trails to you, Sophie! Keep up your search!

ronnie said...

love that first seedy pic .... and good luck with all the irons in the fire this year - its going to be a busy year for all of us methinks! xx

Sophie Munns said...

Hello Rosaria and Ronnie...

great to hear form you both... avid farmer/gardeners that I know you are!

Wishing you a good harvest in 2013 ...think it will be a busy one all round Ronnie!
S

Carole Reid said...

You are such a busy girl, Sophie! I am happy for you. So much to look forward to reading next time. xo Carole

Sophie Munns said...

Hi Carole,
hoping you get a parcel in the mail any day now!
Happy New Year!
S xo

Carole Reid said...

It's here! Oh it's wonderful and makes great bedtime viewing! thank you! xo

Sophie Munns said...

Hurray! So pleased the parcel made it to Vancouver in one piece Carole and you can get more of a glimpse into things down here!
Good reading... that book was a month in the making and two weeks getting it print ready... so with that deadline you will understand any I made a awkward spelling mistake... see groucho's last name!
Oh dear!
best,
Sx

Priya Sebastian said...

I keep coming back to your blog to read parts of posts. While every one of the quotes in 10 words that change the World is pertinent, I find Vandana Shiva's words very powerful and haunting. How much we've corrupted something as sacred as a seed.
I will visit Brisbane again one day Sophie. It is a promise I've kept to myself. I really look forward to meeting you and being enriched by all that you will have to show me.

Sophie Munns said...

I shall look forward very much to your visit some day Priya!
You are right about the words of Vandana Shiva... her passion and endless effort seem to know no bounds and she always reminds of what is at stake.... haunting indeed!
Thanks for your kind words. I love to visit your world and notice what you are thinking about... always i leave touched by something special that you have shared.

May 2013 shine on you!
S

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