INTRODUCED and INVASIVE

The Broad Cove Community Association Rural Mural Series

2018

Introduced and Invasive

White-tailed deer, Oxen, purple crown vetch and purple loosestrife.

Made possible through the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg and funds from the Canada 150 project, three large barn hexes are hung annually on the exterior of the Broad Cove Hall, 7137 Highway 331. The three panels depict a variety of non-native plant and animal species that have been introduced to the region, either deliberately or incidentally, by humans over the last 150+ years of colonization.

Cats in the Hall

The house cat is incredibly invasive and cited as being the largest human-influenced source of mortality for birds and mammals in North America.

Memqaske'katik, the Mi’kma’ki name for Broad Cove, translates as ‘at the clearing’. With the last 150 years of white settlers shaping the use of this land, The Hall has become a hub for the small community with weddings, classes, concerts, dances and the ritual daffodil tea. The gardens of Broad Cove host these introduced blossoms.

Tick Talk

Black legged tick, Green Crab, Japanese Knotweed, Oyster Thief

With climate change and the mobility of species spreading into new habitat, increased frequency of shipping routes globally, and gardening - among other human driven changes in our environment - the ecosystem of this rural seaside now hosts these new species, frequently at the cost of life and habitat to indigenous plants and animals.

This installation celebrates the beauty, joy, and sense of community in this seaside settler village, with the Hall offering a focal point in the tryptic. The works also highlight the impact this presence has had on the environment, and our work as stewards moving forward.