Its now mid-October, another Salmon Run. This year, we know some salmon were in the river but many of them were and STILL are trapped in the lower reaches, below Exeter unable to get over the first weir on their freshwater journey to home. We are currently looking at how we can use the greater public awareness that SR has fostered to lever meaningful change on the river to enable freer movement of these and other migratory species.

Quite a few Salmon Run highlights this year including: sharing the wonders of this species and our river in Bampton School with an assembly full of primary children; building more local connections in villages and towns up the river; a large scale and intimate closing ritual; making and performing in a salmon-cycle costume in Exeter.  Our SR film has been touring with Jo in the Water in some venues in the South West and also screened as part of the Edinburgh Conservation Film Festival.

I went to Bonn again with the Walking Forest (WF) Honouring Cloth, this time we had passes from the Youth Negotiator to enter the UNFCCC Climate talks with the cloth and stitched alongside international delegates, young and old who shared stories of species and home. We also hosted a regenerative retreat in the Bonn riverside park for youth delegates at a mid-way point in their gruelling COP schedule. Bundeskunsthalle hosted us again (thank you!). Earlier in the summer with WF, Lucy & myself co-created a walk for the National Forest walking festival stitching stories of ex-coal mining town Newhall suffragette Hannah Mitchell to the local treescape & the Walking Forest story.  Another highlight invited by Thomas Rickard to speak on behalf of the Exe Atlantic salmon on a panel on Rights of Nature at Rivers & Moorlands festival, Ivybridge. This was a really intriguing and humbling opportunity to try and honourably represent another species amongst the human hubbub.  My part in the Ocean Citizens’ project with Take A Part in Plymouth is drawing to a close as part of Plymouth Art Weekender. I devised a programme of intimate and reflective encounters for local residents from across the city called ‘Meet Your Wild Neighbours’. We went on field trips and site visits to meet some of the local marine, aquatic and intertidal species that form part of the vibrant and changing multi-species communities in and around Plymouth. Finally, I am working with Thelma Hulbert Gallery & Arts & Culture East Devon to help devise and curate a shared learning day for creatives next Spring exploring How does the climate and nature crisis shape how and who we work with and what we create/do/make?