Five threads from my previous experience led me to this project:
- For my Final Major Project in the Photography MA at Falmouth[1], I looked at historic deforestation and current reforestation in the Corbières. In that work, while my primary interest was the precarious state of the forest, it was impossible to avoid thought of what must be happening to non-human animals living within it. As I completed the MA, I felt compelled to transfer my focus from concern for the state of trees and plants to the condition of the non-humans the forest shelters, feeds and nurtures.
In southern France, the climate emergency has delivered increasing insecurity. Over successive years we have had prolonged summer heatwaves with exceptionally high temperatures, and lack of rain leading to persistent drought and wildfires. Amid these phenomena are non-human doing their best to survive. How well are they managing?
- As I was commencing the MA Photography in 2021, a boar’s presence on land next to my house prompted me to place trail cameras around the orchard to see if other boar might be visiting. From day one there were badgers and foxes, and beech martens, but no boar for several months. I have kept the cameras in place for three years and the many clips I now have, show these various non-humans engaging in a range of activities. I want to scrutinise this material in depth to better understand what they show of non-human lives in this era of anthropogenic environmental change.
- Over the years, I have witnessed many changes in the makeup of local non-human populations, including the disappearance of bats, butterflies, squirrels, scorpions and others. There are numerous reasons for this disappearance, such as use of insecticides onvineyards affecting insect populations, increased car use leading to animals being killed on the roads, the forest now principally made up of pines rather than holm oaks, and now drought and high summer temperatures. In this light, I surmise that there is a multi-layered story to explore regarding the interactions between the human and non-human animals in this region.
- I wish to draw upon my own experiences, acquired through long association with the village where I am conducting the study. Between being a part-time resident in the 1970s to today when I am a permanent resident, I have seen the presence of non-humans plunge from ‘abundant’ to all too often ‘completely absent’. I want to try to find out what is going on.
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