The trousseau tray, made from wheat straw, highlights the relationship between human communities and their natural environment. This piece represents ancestral knowledge of the sustainable use of local plant resources, as well as the artisanal techniques passed down through generations. Furthermore, it emphasizes the value of cultural heritage as an integral part of environmental heritage, underscoring the interconnectedness between nature and human expressions, while providing an educational perspective on the importance of preserving both ecosystems and the traditions that rely on them.
Naturalist Robert Atkinson embarked on a survey of Hebridean Islands in the mid-1930s to survey and count the Leach's fork-tailed petrel. He landed on St Kilda in July 1938, which had been evacuated in 1930. Atkinson captured the transition and re-wilding of the island during his search for the rare petrel, going into vacant cottages and buildings. This gentle photograph captures a small wren resting in the warm light of a window in the old School House.
