St. Andrew’s United Church is a social justice community in the heart of Kjipuktuk/Halifax.

Eelgrass talks back

Lily’s quilt exists in two places; here in the church as an actual quilt and as an interactive photograph in the app. Can you discover the hidden message on Lily’s quilt? (Lily’s hidden message on the digital photograph should be readable by screen reader software).

Lily says:

If eelgrass could talk, what would it say? This quilt holds its imagined secret message. Inspired by the nautical flag alphabet, this object exists both as a place of contemplation and disruption. These flags are eelgrass' attempt at communication with the human world, especially to those who usually put them at biggest risk: boats. Quilts are usually an object of comfort but this quilt's message is stark. I hope the viewers enjoy the experience of cracking the code, but also take a moment to reflect on the messages we're receiving from our plants and animals. Quilts have long been used by women to trade secrets and important information while masquerading as a common household object. This quilt uses traditional piecing and a variety of different cotton fabrics like gingham and fleece. The techniques used include machine quilt piecing, hand needle turn appliqué, and wool ties.

Lily Falk is an emerging theatre artist living in Kjipuktuk (Halifax). She is co-artistic director of Gale Force Theatre and an emerging sound designer with Neptune Theatre’s 2019/20 Chrysalis Project. This summer, she's performing in A Tale on Two Wheels, a play for very young audiences delivered to parks by tandem bike. Her first play, Crypthand, was developed at the 2019 PARC Colony and won the Best Original Script award at the 2019 Halifax Fringe Festival. It's slated for full production in Fall 2021. She’s currently developing a serialized audio drama for kids. When she isn’t writing, her work spans puppetry, audio storytelling, and devised creation.

Eelgrass is a flowering plant, like grass on land, but it grows in coastal salt water and forms big meadows all along the Nova Scotian coast. Eelgrass meadows: 1) Provide a home for all kinds of different marine species, 2) Are safe nursery grounds for baby fish, lobsters, and other marine animals, 3) Are really good at capturing and storing carbon, which makes them a key player in mitigating climate change, and 4) serve as a buffer by forming shallow sand banks that protect coastlines from storm surge and erosion. What’s not to love? Maybe you’re ticklish.

The EAC’s eelgrass project is working with citizen scientists across Atlantic Canada to map, protect, and restore this extremely generous seagrass.