“Of Salt and Clay”, an ongoing photography project exploring the community initiatives of the Isle of Wight. Often underestimated as a place that ‘time forgot’, the Isle of Wight is now one of only seven places in the UK with UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status, given in part for the community’s "strong tradition of environmental action and conservation of cultural heritage".
I want to document those who are offering a more hopeful vision and model for the future when the environmental stakes are getting ever higher. The next few decades will be critical for the Isle of Wight which faces the mounting pressures of coastal erosion, the economic toll of Covid-19 on its tourism-led economy, as well as Brexit and the agricultural trade deals it will bring to the island’s historic farming industry - not to mention the deeply controversial oil drilling application from UKOG.
Despite these challenges and in part because of them, my aim with ‘Of Salt and Clay’ is to uncover a resilient part and people of the Island who are striving toward a shared vision at a critical moment in the climate crisis. I believe their combined contributions can teach us about the importance of place and provide inspiration for how communities can collaborate to foster positive environmental change and provide some much needed hope for the future.
Pictured: Francesca Cooper of The Modern Kitchen Garden, a regenerative market garden based here on the Island.
I will be sharing more soon.
