The D&G Wild Goose Festival has come to a close, but that doesn’t mean the geese have gone.
The barnacle geese have flown all the way from Svalbard (a Norwegian arctic archipelago) to spend half of the year with us on the Solway Firth, so they’ll be with us well into spring next year.
As a fitting closure to the festival this year, a community-based art project – made by the WGF team of Kirsty, Ali, and Lil – has been installed in the iconic Saltcot Merse Observatory on our reserve. It’s called The Never Ending Skein.
Much like our barnacle geese, the project will be ‘wintering’ with us in the observatory. The creative exhibition has been manifesting on a journey across the south coastline of Dumfries and Galloway, through the wonderful artsy vehicle of the Loose Goose. You may have contributed to the project through your own interactions with the Loose Goose across the county.
Kirsty Harris, one of the creators, says: "The Never Ending Skein has been created by the hands and from the words of our community in Dumfries & Galloway. It has travelled across the region, making its own migration, gathering stories wherever it lands. The purpose of the artwork is to share and celebrate the unique environment on our doorstep and to explore how encounters with the wild shape us as individuals and as a community.
"The next part of its journey is at WWT Caerlaverock, where it will overwinter in the Salcot Hide, reflecting the barnacle geese already wintering on the merse. Here it will share its stories with the visitors who encounter it and hopefully encourage more people to consider their own relationship with the wild."
The exhibition will be with us until the geese make their return home, estimated to be April next year. Don’t miss out on viewing this unique artwork while it’s here.
The other Wild Goose Festival activities we held this year were the Wardlaw Walk and Dawn Flight. Both were fully booked events – this community in D&G really care about the cultural significance of the geese, particularly in the Caerlaverock area, and we are so lucky to share our love for them with our guests too.
As well as the barnacle geese, our winter regulars of whooper swans, tufted ducks, hen harriers, and more are here to see the dawning of springtime next year too. The Whooper Pond webcam is a great way to feel a part of the reserve even when you’re at home (or at work!), and our regular Swan Talks bring you closer than ever to a noisy bevy of swan feeding madness. Book your tickets now before the season is over.
Title image credit: Caitlin Wells
By Georgia Pope, Engagement Officer
