‘Song of the Cedars’…..’Heartwood’….. Life…..
by Bernie Bell - 08:06 on 02 November 2024
‘Song of the Cedars’…..
In Robert MacFarlane's Twitter….
“Yesterday in Quito, Ecuador, five of us filed a legal petition. Four of us were human, one was a cloud-forest. The petition concerns a song, 'Song of the Cedars', which we humans wrote in & with the Los Cedros cloud-forest 2 yrs ago. Here's the song (): https://found.ee/songofthecedars
Our petition represents the first known attempt in legal history to recognise the "moral authorship" of an ecosystem: in this case a river-forest of mind-blowing biodiversity & endemicity; of mind-shaping liveliness & presence.
We couldn't have written this song without the forest as our collaborator & co-author; not only are the forest's voices––bat & barbet toucan, cedar & river, cicada & frog––vocalist-performers on the track, but more simply, we were, at the time of its making, temporary participants in the cloud-forest's unfurling, processual life. We thought with it, it wrote with us.
Countless, arguably all, art is made in collaboration with the living world, from whale-song albums to poems about winter. Yet the anthropocentrism of both global copyright law and mainstream Western theories of creativity denies and elides the "moral authorship" of nature. Our petition seeks a counter-precedent to centuries of anthropocentrism; to assert, albeit within incorrigibly human structures, something that seems to us self-evident: that nature is a creative force, with whom we make. We do not seek to extend pecuniary rights; rather & only the inalienable rights of authorship.
Cesar Rodriguez-Garavito & I wrote the song with the forest over 2 days at a high camp, near the source of the Rio Los Cedros. I wrote a first pass of the lyrics, Cosmo laid down a melody & sound-layers on his phone, Giuliana later added a Spanish river undersong; we all five, forest and humans, shaped the song in its forming. Two years work has gone into the launch of this song & the filing of the petition. The groundbreaking MOTH (More Than Human) Life Project has steered it; the brilliant Ecuadorian lawyer Agustin Grijalva-Jimenez and his team have been central to the process, as has the @fungifoundation . Elena Landinez made the album art.
Please listen to the song (headphones recommended if you want to hear the sonar clicks of an Ecuadorian bat pass through your skull from one side to the other); please share it on!
You can find out more about the initiative here: https://theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/25/legal-bid-for-ecuador-forest-to-be-recognised-as-song-co-creator…
And the Los Cedros Fund for the ongoing protection of the cloud-forest is now live & here, for donations/sharing on: https://every.org/los-cedros-fund “
’Heartwood’ Print….
This was sent to me by ‘Right to Roam’ as I’m a supporter. I’m posting it here to let folk know that this print will become generally available….
“Heartwood Prints
“Thanks to the help from our friends at STAG - Sheffield Tree Action Groups we’re excited to share something special with you—the Heartwood print, a stunning creation by artist Nick Hayes and writer Robert Macfarlane. This exclusive artwork speaks directly to the right-to-roam movement, celebrating our shared bond with nature. As a member of our community, you have first access to this limited release, with every penny raised going directly toward safeguarding and expanding our rights to roam freely in nature.
The Roots of Heartwood
During 2017, Sheffield’s residents united in a remarkable protest to protect thousands of historic street trees from needless felling. These trees were not merely part of the landscape; they were living markers of the city’s history and symbols of the community's enduring commitment to preserving what matters most. Moved by this struggle, Robert Macfarlane crafted powerful words that served as an anthem for all who defend trees, forests, and natural spaces. Nick Hayes then transformed this evocative message into the Heartwood artwork, which has become a symbol of resilience and a profound connection to the land.
This collaboration transcended Sheffield; the poster was fly posted on advertising hoardings, hung as an amulet around threatened trees, and set and sung by community choirs. In the years since, the poem and the art have both made their way around the world, and have turned up in forest-and tree-protection movements in Canada, the Netherlands, India, China and Italy; the text has even been translated into Dutch, Mandarin, Telugu showing its universal appeal and the collective fight to preserve our natural heritage.
Bringing this print into your home connects you with this story of collective action and care for the natural world. Each signed giclée print is card-mounted and includes a unique red-ink wooden tree stamp designed by Stanley Donwood, the renowned artist known for his work with Radiohead and Glastonbury. This is only the third limited edition run of Heartwood prints in the last five years, following two successful campaigns that raised funds for the Sheffield protestors and the campaigning organisation - Lawyers for Nature
Here’s How to Secure Your Print
As a member of our community, you have exclusive access! You have until midnight on Sunday, November 3rd, to sign up to purchase a print by completing this form. After this date, any remaining prints will be made available to the public. There is only 150 up for grabs, so make sure you act fast!
Delivery Information
Please note that these prints are available for delivery within the UK only. Each signed giclée print is card-mounted and will be carefully dispatched during the week of November 18th.
Thank you for standing with us in solidarity and gratitude as we strive to protect and ensure access to all the natural spaces.
A Quick Reminder: Join the March For Clean Water taking place on November 2nd and 3rd. This important event is a rallying cry for clean water access, highlighting the vital role that clean water plays in our health, environment, and communities. Together, we will advocate for the protection of our water sources and demand accountability from those responsible for safeguarding them. This is your chance to stand up and be heard.
For more information, visit marchforcleanwater.org.
Jess,
On behalf of the Right to Roam team.
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Life….
When I’m finding it hard to deal with today’s world, I follow a meditation by Matthew Manning …
I begin as a small stream, up on a hill. I flow down the hill, babbling away, quite thoughtlessly.
I become a river, and encounter some rocks, which I flow round – they don’t bother me or obstruct my progress.
I get bigger and stronger, and then flow into the Ocean - which in one way feels good - to open out in that way - but also feels a bit ‘Ooo-er’.
The bit I like best is when I’m a babbling stream, but the bit that does me most good is when I encounter the rocks and simply flow round and among them.
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