Stay alert when traversing Dalhousie’s busy parking lots and streets.

The Old Red Oak stands 19 meters tall and 167 centimetres in diameter. Its large canopy shades the sidewalk on Oxford Street. This Quercus rubra is estimated to be between 250 and 300 years old. It and the surrounding trees still stand thanks to architect Andrew Cobb, who designed Sheriff Hall.

The Wild In The Seed Tucked away behind Shirreff Hall is a 300-year-old oak tree. Along with some surrounding trees, it is all that remains of the Acadian forest that stood on this site before development. A flurry of seeds, acorns and pine cones unlocks a doorway into this long-lost forest. An old-growth Acadian forest has a rich diversity of more than 60 species of native trees. Today, we realize that protecting (bio)diversity in the wild makes for much-needed healthy ecosystems, of which trees are a vital part. As the biggest plants on the planet, they give us oxygen, store carbon, stabilize the soil and provide a home for many species of wildlife. The Wild in the Seed reflects on the forest that once was, and the importance in preserving old growth for generations to come.

Annik Gaudet is an Acadian artist originally from New Brunswick, based in Saint Margaret’s Bay, Nova Scotia. Her interdisciplinary art practice places personal observations and intuitive actions at the centre of her creative process. Annik’s videos, installations and performances explore the emotional connections that resonate through landscapes and objects. Often site-specific and made in the field while out on wilderness excursions, her work invites viewers to spend time in the wild realm. Annik holds a BFA from the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design University and her work has been shown in artist-run centres, galleries as well as public art events such as festivals and screenings in Canada and the USA.

Sam Decoste is an independent artist-animator based in K'jipuktuk/Halifax. At the heart of their 1-channel animations and 3-channel installations is story. They start with a question, and through research, animate a perspective that is tossed aside or misrepresented in mainstream historical accounts. Their award-winning animated shorts have screened at festivals worldwide. Most recently, they have been exploring new forms of storytelling with VR and AR animation.

Our HRM Alliance is a grassroots coalition, bringing urban, suburban and rural voices together to talk about and activate issues regarding development in the Halifax Regional Municipality. Launched in 2011 by EAC along with 16 other groups, it now has over 60 member organizations from every corner of the municipality – rural, suburban, and the urban core. They include business, health, environmental, community, trails groups, as well as advocacy organizations focused on transportation, tax reform, land use planning and resource management. The membership is extremely diverse and growing. Together they built a community-driven vision for a more sustainable, affordable and inclusive city. By using greenbelting (to curb urban sprawl) and planning for complete communities (where people have access to everything they need, right where they live), the Alliance works to protect the places that matter while building more livable, climate-friendly communities.