Eco Art students launch ice books
The Ottauquechee River thawed just in time and lived up to its Abenaki name meaning 'swift mountain stream' for Eco Art students to launch ice books into the current this week.
Inspired by artist Basia Irland, students froze water into book shapes, then used Dremel tools to carve symbols and letters into the ice. Garden manager Abbie Castriotta guided them through the role of native riparian plants in biodiversity and erosion control, and students carefully embedded seeds — harvested by Regenerative Agriculture classmates — into the carvings before sending them downstream.
As Irland describes it, the project emphasizes "communal effort and scientific knowledge" in addressing climate disruption and watershed restoration. As the ice melts and seeds take root, the river does the rest.
It's a project that's equal parts art, ecology, and hope.
