Musical Constructions of Place: Linking music to environmental action in the St Lucia wetlands

Abstract

This paper reflects on a documentation project in the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park Authority that explored the operational interface between music, cultural knowledge and environmental stewardship. Building upon the premise that music and associated ritual practices present rich discursive sites where local knowledge about the environment are negotiated and affirmed, the project aimed to engage high school students with broader environmental concerns through the documentation of their diverse cultural and environmental heritages. In so doing, it explored ways in which the active recovery of deep-rooted cultural wisdoms about land, natural resources and senses of place may contribute towards a more integrated paradigm for environmental conservation in the area.