Workshop: Seeing Deeper: Narsaq’s Human & Ecological Communities

A team of researchers from the U.S. will be hosting 2 art-science events for the community on June 11 and June 12. You may have met the researchers last year at Klub Qaqqavaarsuk or Innuttaasut Iluat!

Our research: We study aquatic ecosystems in South Greenland, asking questions like, “How does climate change impact the organisms that live in Greenland lakes?” Our group also includes one artist who makes artwork about stories, environments, microscopic life, and natural ecosystems.

Workshop #1 : How do we See Deeper using a microscope? We will collect natural samples from around town. Then, we will learn how to use a microscope to study them. (For: Youth / Where: The school / When: June 11 at 10:00-11:30

What: Learn how to collect environmental samples and use a microscope to see Narsaq’s aquatic creatures. While they are small, these organisms exist at the bottom of freshwater food chains, providing the resources necessary for fish and bigger animals to survive. We will use what we learn to contribute to an art activity, reflecting on the questions: “What/who lives in Narsaq? What stories can they tell us?”

Workshop #2: Passing knowledge: How can we all See Deeper? For: Youth, their Parents, and Elders/Where: Elder Center/When: June 12 at 14:00-15:30

What: Youth will teach their parents and elders how to use the microscope to look at environmental samples. We will take pictures through the microscope and with disposable cameras to create a photo album about Narsaq’s natural and human communities. At the end, we will do a short art activity and ask: “What is Narsaq made of? How do land, water, people, and memory come together? Together, we will learn how to use microscopes and cameras to capture life in Narsaq.