About
Slow walks through wetland habitats,
mangrove sounds by day and night,
drone-view, living-landscape paintings,
360-degree worlds of wonder,
flights into species-specific niches.
By getting up close and personal with the swamp, we sense the beauty and the ecosystem complexity.
Informed by science and culture, we can take in the big picture—the intrinsic, environmental and timeless values of wet land.
This art-science collaboration is led by wetland ecologist Fernanda Adame, sound artist Leah Barclay,
walking/media artist James Cunningham and multimedia artist Suzon Fuks.
It incorporates knowledge from current and traditional landowners within Quandamooka (Moreton Bay)
Wetlands are one of the most valuable ecosystems on Earth. They store 3 times more carbon than terrestrial forests,
improve water quality and are home to a diversity of species.
Wetland Wander aims to inspire engagement and conservation of these critical ecosystems.
4 kinds
4 kinds
Riverine
Riverine
Channels (rivers, creeks, waterways)
Channels (rivers, creeks, waterways)
and their associated vegetation
and their associated vegetation
Palustrine
Palustrine
Vegetated swamps (non-channel systems)
Vegetated swamps (non-channel systems)
with more than 30% emergent vegetation
with more than 30% emergent vegetation
Lacustrine
Lacustrine
Large, open, water-dominated
Large, open, water-dominated
systems (> 8ha)
systems (> 8ha)
Estuarine
Estuarine
Those influenced by tidal inundation
Those influenced by tidal inundation
sometimes diluted with freshwater run-off
sometimes diluted with freshwater run-off
3 Scales
3 Scales
Landscape
Landscape
Land containing a mosaic
Land containing a mosaic
of different habitats
of different habitats
Habitat
Habitat
Where an organism or a biological
Where an organism or a biological
population normally lives or occurs
population normally lives or occurs
Niche
Niche
Where a species is adapted and
Where a species is adapted and
how it makes a living there
how it makes a living there
Overview
Recordings
Exhibitions
IMMERSIVE INSTALLATION
dual-channel video projection & quadraphonic sound
adjustable size
IMMERSIVE
INSTALLATION
dual-channel video
quadraphonic sound
adjustable size
SCREEN-BASED WORKS
video walks
dronescapes
interviews
SCREEN-BASED WORKS
video walks
dronescapes
interviews
There are 9.2 million square kilometres of palustrine wetlands of which only 11% are protected
Mangroves have one of the highest deforestation rates in the world
It is cheaper to build a wetland to treat water than to upgrade a water treatment plant
Coastal wetlands comprise 0.2% of land surface but have 50% of the carbon sequestered in the ocean
Degraded mangroves can be restored by making sure they get frequently flooded by the sea
US$33000
worth of storm protection provided by 1 ha. of coastal wetland
10x
more CO2 emitted cutting mangrove forest than grassland
68%
of wetland area lost in the 20th century
75%
of tropical storm wave-power decreased by 20 m. of mangroves and marsh
Acknowledgements
We thank Traditional Owners from the lands from which this project’s material comes, especially the Nywaigi, Gulgnay and Girramay peoples of Northern Queensland and the Quandamooka peoples of Stradbroke Island. This project has been supported by the Australian Rivers Institute and Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre at Griffith University, the Queensland Government through the Advance Queensland Program with an Engaging Science grant and an Advance Queensland Fellowship. We also thank the Wetlands Program for their support, and Michael Costelloe, Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation, Avril Quaill, Quandamooka Festival, Minjerribah Moorgumpin Elders-In-Council, Valerie Keenan, Girringun Aboriginal Art Centre, Mungalla Aboriginal Business Corporation, Andrew Skeoch, Afshin Shahmoradi, Nasim Khosravi and Baran Theatre.
The Wetland Wander exhibition premiered as part of National Science Week, 11–19 August 2018. For more info on wetlands go to: wetlandsinfo
Contact
Fernanda Adame: f.adame@griffith.edu.au