Finding hope in the depths of winter: How snowdropping connects us to nature

Description

The snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) and its relatives are not native to the UK, although exactly when they were introduced is unclear. They may have been grown as an ornamental garden plant as early as the 16th century, but were not recorded in the wild until the late 18th century. With the development of Occupational Health in the shadow of the Crimean War, the ability for snowdrops, appearing in the depths of winter, to contribute to the recovery of war veterans became well recognised. Today, they continue to help us find hope in dark times. As one of the first signs of Spring they are widely appreciated by many, so much so that they have established surprising allies: In Fife and the Lothians, for example, organised groups have been snowdropping for decades, and many urban parks and Local Nature Reserves are now splendid places to view these earliest of Spring flowers. The relationships we have with place-time, and with the seasons and rhythms of nature, are thus complex and emergent. This raises challenging questions about the narrow biomedical model of ecosystem health that is favoured in the natural and medical sciences. This presentation will present and discuss the significance of sympoietic worldings that break through the frosty ground, and the frozen wastes of false dualisms.

Period	29 Apr 2025
Event title	Multispecies Health in the City: Going Beyond the Green
Event type	Workshop
Location	Edinburgh, United KingdomShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International