From Waste to Taste - The Edible Medicinal Sculpture Trail
From Waste to Taste: the Edible Medicinal Sculpture trail was devised as part of the CoDesRes research project by Art Services Unincorporated in 2019, in partnership with Cahersiveen Tidy Towns to address issues of wasted or undervalued space. From Waste to Taste, proposed the development of a sculptural / horticultural trail that runs the length of Cahersiveen town; starting and finishing with two landmarks: Colaiste Na Sceilge, to the newly reconstructed Saidbh’s Fort, behind the Old Barracks Cultural Centre.
Cahersiveen, seems like one long street, part of the world-renowned Ring of Kerry. The impact of this can mean that visitors on scheduled coach tours do not get to explore many of Cahersiveen’s hidden gems, the abbey, the remains of the lanes, the view of Cnoc na Dtobar, the river or the riverside park. There are also areas within the Cahersiveen town that are suffering from neglect and dereliction and do not encourage visitors or residents to walk and explore these hidden assets. The project makes use of existing infrastructure and riverside locations to create a trail that draws the visitor to overlooked aspects of Cahersiveen as an eco-tourism asset.
Through the creation of points of interest using planting and eco-sensitive art linked together through a map. By integrating the natural and cultural heritage of the river through edible-medicinal plantings, context-responsive eco-sensitive artworks and an Augmented reality layer and audio walk, Waste to Taste encourages residents and visitors to explore the town by leading them through the town and along the river. The project offers opportunities to spend time at specific sites, select a few sites to visit or complete the trail, which runs at 2KM from start to finish incorporating key vantage points and ‘hidden’ vistas and perspectives. Through reclaiming wasted space, using native planting, an audio walk, and an augmented reality layer the project shares the story of natural and cultural heritage of the area.
In addition, the project was devised to be a teaching tool for local natural and cultural heritage and design thinking for local students and community groups who adopted a point on the node, designed to integrate social and environmental justice. After some initial workshops and events - Covid-19 restrictions meant a halt to the project. We are looking forward to beginning the sculptural aspects of the trail in Autumn 2022 - see below for aspects of the project to date: workshops, links to some of the AR content and the community education tools developed through the CoDesRes Project, that teaches permaculture practices.
Local Biodiversity walk with herbal botanist Niall Hogan, April 2019
The project aims to show additional benefits for plants often overlooked as a means to encourage biodiversity through showing increased value for ‘weeds’. Herbal botanist, Niall Hogan, Derrynane led a walk along the proposed trail identifying plants and their edible medicinal properties that already existed along the proposed trail.
Atlantic Irish Seaweed, Derrynane are a local family business working since 2009 running seaweed discovery courses & workshops. They created a bespoke tasting and knowledge sharing event as part of the development of the edible-medicinal content for the trail.
Because of our location at the western edge of Europe and our temperate climate, the Irish coastline is blessed with over 625 of the worlds approx 10,000 seaweed species. Many of these have been eaten and utilised since ancient times. The event sought to introduce the participants to a few of these species through tasting, recipes, and information about their medicinal properties. Our pristine shoreline supports a sustainable and abundant sea garden containing a food source packed with minerals, trace elements, antioxidants and a vast range of easily assimilated nutrients.
Virtually fat-free and fibre-rich, seaweeds can contain as much as 10 times the minerals of land plants. Some seaweeds are over 1/3 protein. They are a great natural source of Omega 3 oils, Iodine, Iron, Zinc and a range of essential B vitamins. Sea Grass,(Ulva Intestinalis), contains the highest levels of Vitamin B12 of any known plant.
Atlantic Irish Seaweed Tasting Event, May 2019
Waste to Taste - Creating the Edible-Medicinal Trail - education module
The project initiated a number of educational activities related to permaculture and design thinking to enable groups to engage with personal issues with their sites as well as developing and expand existing skills while learning new creative methods, skills and processes. This also included a design process that integrated social and environmental justice and execution e.g. the qualities of a specific site; tangible and intangible e.g. prior use, ownership, its surroundings, while building their relationship with their site. Sessions included
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Oct 2019 - X2 sessions (2hrs 40 mins) with x24, 15 / 16 year olds - introduction to the project, the site to be worked on Garranbane Cillín and exercises in learning the pCr design methods initial training - Artist - Anita Mckeown, Garranbane Site, Cahersiveen
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Nov 2019 Introduction to project (2 hrs) x15 people - Artist - Anita Mckeown and Greenspace Education Cahersiveen Library
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March 2019 x2 5hr media production training sessions and pCr training x1 residents - pre and post production media training (capturing and developing video / audio content, editing audio and video for AR layer, Cahersiveen Library, site visits and Asana School Building, Cahersiveen. Artists Anita Mckeown / GreenSpace education
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X1 3hr session - pCr training and engagement with physical sites Artist, Anita Mckeown
Augmented Reality Layer - digital content
Artist planning and foundational work and AR layer (resource creation, media training planning and delivery, AR basic training, AR trail and keys initial development in preparation for student content and trail upload. SMARTlab Skellig AR training Feb 2019 - 30 hrs training included x6 local community trainees in preparation for AR layer. Trainers: Zi Siang Si and Haireena Ooi, Cahersiveen library and site work.
James Murphy developed the AR Key which will be produced as ceramic plaques and linked to each site node. The AR key enables anyone undertaking the walk to access additional information through different media (videos, images, recipes etc) about the sites, indigenous native flora and its edible / medicinal qualities. This enables the sites legacy to grow beyond the physical environment through leisure and educational activities.
AR Key
Introduction to Foraging - Park Gate
Story of Ogham - trees at the Fort
Saidbh's Story - the fort
Foragers' Soup recipe - wild bank
The Fertha -
Insert Proposed list of nodes from Tionól presentation
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Town Park Entrance on insert street name
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Saidbh's fort
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The Fertha / Railway Bridge
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Shifting Seat
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Quay St Triangle / waste ground to Marina
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Barking Pan / Fishing Co-op
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Ballycarberry marina seat
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The Abbey
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The well
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THe Cillín
The trail then links into Colaiste na Sceilge's 1km Health and Well-being biodiversity trail - see Young Tidy Towns