Biodiversity and the Welsh language
Working with children is one of my favourite things in my job at Public Map Platform. In June this year, we visited Ysgol Rhoscolyn to do social mapping activities with them. We went for a walk in the area around the school and we encouraged the children to take pictures and videos of the places which are important to them. I always appreciate this; it's a special opportunity to see the world through the eyes of children. At the time, it was the height of summer, and everything was in full bloom.
We chatted to the children about things in the natural world they noticed on the walk. There were honeysuckle flowers, and they showed us how to taste the sweet nectar inside, like a bee. Also, there were a lot of crab skeletons by the water's edge, that they called “the crab graveyard.” Then, there was a field full of horses who came to the gate to see them. “Look kids, the horses are coming to see you,” I said.
As I wrote in a previous blog, I am on a journey of learning Welsh. I have been trying to read more, and one of the Welsh books in my collection is Cynefin yr Ardd (The Garden Habitat) by Bethan Wyn Jones and Iolo Williams. It's a great book about the natural environment. Of course, I showed it to the children and the teacher. In this book, I am learning about names for plants and animals, which is one of the most interesting things in the Welsh language. Names which are so imaginative and wonderful, like buwch goch gota (little red cow) for “ladybird”, gwas y neidr (servant of the snake) for “dragonfly” and cehinen Bedr (Peter's leek) for “daffodil”. I was surprised at the name for “daisy”, llygad y dydd (eye of the day), but after I thought about the literal English meaning, “day's eye” I realized that it sounds like the same thing in both languages. Also, I pick up new words in Welsh conversation groups. The other day, I learned two words for “toadstool”, caws llaffant (toad cheese) and bwyd y boda (buzzard's food).
I wonder where these names came from? Who thought of them? And why? I don't know, but when my colleague Tristan told me about another book about names of plants and animals, my ears pricked up, full of interest. This book is The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris. I reserved a copy in the library immediately. A fabulous folio sized book, the authors created it in response to the publication of a new edition of The Oxford Junior Dictionary. In this dictionary, many names of plant and animal species were left out to make room for new technological terms. The authors thought that this reflects losing connection with the natural world, which is so important for the wellbeing of children and young people. Their creative response was The Lost Words, such a poetic book, full of beautiful and enchanting illustrations.
By connecting these different perspectives, I can see a relationship between the linguistic, environmental and social worlds. The Public Map project is greatly involved with these three things, within the context of creating a transparent and trustworthy planning system which uses community mapping to inform decisions about the green transition. Conserving biodiversity is a very important part of the green transition, and it promotes the wellbeing of future generations. I wonder if, as species of plants and animals disappear, would their names disappear too, just as Lost Words is about losing names from the natural world? Along my journey of learning Welsh, I notice that I remember best the words that are frequently encountered. As a society, would we forget words for plants and animals that become rarer and extinct, as we lose biodiversity?
The one thing which is not going extinct is the enthusiasm the children of Ysgol Rhoscolyn had that sunny afternoon for the natural world around them. Long may it continue!
