Ceremony honours Dartmoor’s threatened wildlife with ‘Shroud for Mother Nature’

A moving firelit ceremony has been held on Dartmoor to honour the Shroud for Mother Nature, bringing together 30 members of the community to remember plants and animals that are extinct or under threat.

The hand-felted woollen shroud, usually on display at the Museum of Dartmoor Life as part of the exhibition A Shroud for Mother Nature: Is Dartmoor Dying?, was carried from Postbridge to Merripit Farm for the special event. Inside a replica Bronze Age roundhouse, participants spoke aloud the names of Dartmoor species at risk or already extinct before reflecting on the symbolism of the shroud.

The “leafcocoon” cover was created by more than 50 local contributors and features intricate depictions of granite tors, mossy carpets, flowing rivers, 3D birds and even a giant Ash Black Slug.

Kristy Turner, Manager of the Museum of Dartmoor Life, said: “What a beautiful ceremony and memorable afternoon. Even the sun shone for us! I hope in a small way we are bringing notice to the plight of the flora and fauna of Dartmoor and people will react to it.”

The roundhouse gathering combined spoken word, song, and ritual. The ceremony opened with a piece by co-curator Kirsteen McNish, followed by textile artist and shroud maker Yuli Somme, who reflected on the creative process. Helen Bruce of the Dartmoor Preservation Association and Kristy Turner read a call-and-response piece naming 60 endangered or extinct Dartmoor species. Singer Carolyn Hillyer closed the event with an original song themed around death, renewal and sisterhood, partly performed in a reconstructed proto-Celtic language.

Co-curator Kirsteen McNish said: “It was really special and felt like an important day. It really couldn't have gone better, and the feedback and messages since have been so beautiful and positive. People were really engaged and moved. I am certain most people will remember that experience for the rest of their lives.”

The shroud itself is intended to provoke reflection about biodiversity loss on Dartmoor. Somme explained that naming species such as the Tormentil Mining Bee, Fibrous Waxcap and Meadow Pipit is the first step towards understanding their needs and supporting their survival.

Carolyn Hillyer added: “Thank you for bringing the wonderful Earth Mother Shroud to the farm and sharing the roundhouse ceremony. It was a magical event to be part of and I was entranced by the delicate beauty of the shroud herself.”

The Dartmoor Preservation Association expressed gratitude to the Museum of Dartmoor Life, McNish, Somme and all those involved in bringing the shroud to life in the community.

The Shroud for Mother Nature remains on display at the Museum of Dartmoor Life until the exhibition closes for the winter.