Footnotes to a Conversation, October 7, 2024
“After the keen still days of September, the October sun filled the world with mellow warmth.” – Elizabeth George Speare
Career Opportunities
Nope, it’s not as a butcher, a baker, or a candlestick maker. But, if you live in France, you might make accordions, although the company is struggling: “Its distinctive sound has provided the soundtrack for some of France’s most recognisable cultural classics, from Parisian dance halls to the film Amélie and the songs of Édith Piaf. It has even been played by a former president … Since the 1990s, Maugein has been the only accordion maker in France to produce instruments from scratch and to order, a process that takes 110 hours and up to 6,000 parts, to create 70-80 accordions each month.” [The Guardian]
In the UK, you can apply to be an expedition botanist and follow in Darwin’s footsteps: “Applicants are expected to be keen botanists with a relevant undergraduate degree, a passion for travel, an intrepid spirit – and the ability to identify a new or interesting plant species growing in the wild … So many plant species are threatened with extinction. By going out, sampling seeds, recording these plants and bringing them back into collections and seed banks, you’re doing really important work.” [The Guardian]
Trees
Tree: Exploring the Arboreal World presents over 300 images of trees, from cherry blossoms and gingkoes to giant sequoias, palms, and poplars. The artwork spans 3500 years of human civilization ranging from Roman stone mosaics and illustrated manuscripts to scientific studies and modern photography. The book was curated by an international panel of botanists, naturalists, art historians, and other experts.
You can view a number of images from the book, including one by Christi Belcourt, in this article [The Guardian] or watch a short video prepared by the publisher [Phaidon].
Footnotes to a Conversation is a weekly Monday feature covering an assortment of topics that I’ve come across in the preceding week – books, art, travel, food, and whatever else strikes my fancy. I also post occasional articles on other dates, including frequent book reviews and travel tales.
If you share my love of nature, check out EcoFriendly West, an online publication encouraging environmental initiatives in Western Canada, and Nature Companion, a free nature app for Canada’s four western provinces.