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CULTURE FORAGER, VOL. 11

5, February 2025

CULTURE FORAGER, VOL. 11

Welcome to Culture Forager, where culture and Nature meet. We’ve found some wonderful things to see, do, read and listen to this February – all of them connected to the natural world. Delve right in and enjoy.

THE EXHIBITION

Fly Agaric I by Marshmellow Laser Feast ©David Parry, PA Media

Soil might not be the prettiest part of Nature, but it’s one of the most important. The earth beneath our feet is the most biodiverse habitat on the planet. Without it, there’d be no plants, no animals, no life. Through artefacts and artworks, music and science, this innovative exhibition invites us to “reconsider the crucial role soil plays in our planet’s health… encouraging a more sustainable, harmonious relationship with the Earth—if we choose to act now.”

Soil: The World at Our Feet, Somerset House, London, until 13th April 2025. Tickets £18.50  / £15 concessions, children under 5 free, aged 6-11 £10.

THE FAMILY DAY OUT

While we’re on the subject of the ground beneath our feet, we must give Mudfest a mention. Happening at UK-wide Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) centres this February half term, the Mudfest line-up includes mud sculpture-making, mud shows and mud obstacle courses. According to WWT, “everyone can connect with nature and discover the magical powers of mud for wildlife and play” at the festival.

Mudfest 2025, Various WWT locations and February dates. Ticket prices dependent on location.

THE BOOK

Richard Powers’ Pulitzer-Winning novel The Overstory explored the relationship between people and Nature via trees. His latest, Playground, does the same via the ocean. Playground is set on a French Polynesian island chosen for seasteading – the building of floating cities exempt from government control. The story follows a teacher, an artist, a marine biologist and an AI pioneer as their lives converge on the island. This Booker-longlisted novel is at once humbling, thought-provoking and beautiful.

Playground by Richard Powers, Cornerstone, hardback RRP £20.

 THE WALK

Biofluorescence is a spectacular phenomenon where organisms absorb one colour of light, then reemit another – essentially glowing in the dark. Lots of animals can see it, but human beings can’t – without the aid of a UV torch. Enter David Atthowe and his guided Nature Reveal Biofluorescent Night Walks. With UV torches provided, these adventures in the dark offer a fascinating glimpse into Nature at its most awe-inspiring. Get ready to witness plants, animals, fungi and lichen like you’ve never seen them before.

Biofluorescent Night Walks, various locations throughout the UK, tickets from £15 (adults) and £7 children (accompanied, 8 years and over).

THE ALBUM

This electro-acoustic record brims with sounds from the natural world – and each track is named after a living thing. Sampling waterfalls, birdsong and even animal heartbeats, Buenos Aires sound artist QOA (Nina Corti) leads listeners deep into the Argentinian Wilderness. The album is, according to label Leaving Records, ‘a journey both mournful and healing—an effort to trace what has been lost, what remains, and what might return.’. Calming, intricate music with Nature at its heart.

SAUCO by QOA, Leaving Records, available on cassette, vinyl, digital album, or to stream.

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