“First there was only water, then the Great Turtle gradually rose above water and the Creator placed mud on its shell. The mud dried and the Great Tree grew in the middle of the earth….”

The cosmological myths of several cultures depict a “World Turtle” carrying the Earth on its back. In some Native American traditions the Earth is called “Turtle Island.” In this piece, “Movement on Turtle Island,” each seed becomes a world unto itself. Seeds become part of the turtles’ shells, microcosms of the cosmos carried on their backs. The seed-shells provide protective homes for the turtles and house the essence of the Earth’s botanical diversity. Carried by the ancient feet of the turtles, the seeds migrate en mass slowly but steadily towards survival, in response to global climate change.

Seeds are primal, beautiful, miraculous, fascinating and essential players in the Earth’s biosphere. Life as we know it depends on the biodiversity that sprouts from seeds. To protect fragile seed diversity we must recognize our deep dependence on it and change our collective behavior from destructive to regenerative. For me, as an artist and educator, participating in “SEED 2” is an exciting way to contribute to this process.