I’ve been visit Wigg Island sporadically throughout most of my life. It’s a wonderful green space not far from my family home, yet it wasn’t our go-to spot for immersing ourselves in nature.
As part of my Developing Creative Practice bid, I collaborated with the local organisation Mersey Gateway Enviromental Trust. Their mission to survey and preserve the ecology of the Upper Mersey Estuary, with Wigg Island as a focal point, becoming an obvious place for me to explore.
The island is popular among locals, being close to the historic parts of Runcorn but I do feel it has been overlooked as a green space to explore and a haven for nature. Making it an ideal candidate for Exploring Familiar places as part of my project.
Another draw for me was the imposing presence of the Msery Gateway bridge, slicing through the island and commanding attention. The juxtaposition of roaring cars above and the tranquil symphony of birds and other natural sounds also drew me in to stay and
explore.
I kept gravitating back to a familiar spot overlooking the river, where all three bridges came into view. This vantage point, coupled with the mosaic habitat I had discussed with MGET, revealed a multi-layered landscape shaped by human interaction. Mix match of textures and colours with patches of greenery amidst small mounds of moss and weeds, not yet overtaken by larger vegetation.
After selecting this sport, I dedicated time to sketching the foliage surrounding me and concluded that it would be a location I’d revisit as I continued to develop this project further.
