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s we face mounting sustainability challenges, heightening your environmental awareness is critical. What is the potential for sensory experiences to engage us with a deeper connection that could heighten our environmental consciousness?
The World Sensorium Conservancy (WS/C) has championed this sensory approach for 25 years, crafting a narrative that connects people to their cultural and ecological heritage through the power of aromatic plants. This November, the World Sensorium: Ireland project was launched as part of Climate | Ceardaíocht, Cahersiveen, County Kerry’s first climate literacy festival. “Ceardaíocht”, the Irish word for craft, formed the foundation of the festival’s aims: “Crafting Action Today for a Better Tomorrow.” The event introduced and expanded climate literacy through talks, art projects, films, and hands-on workshops. The festival aligned locally with the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP29 in Azerbaijan, leveraging the global focus for local conversations.
Within this context, World Sensorium celebrated its 25th anniversary, initiating an exploration of Ireland’s rich olfactory heritage while addressing pressing climate concerns and environmental challenges.
Founded by interdisciplinary artist and scientist Dr. Gayil Nalls, the World Sensorium project has been a pioneering initiative uniting art, culture, and science through scent. From its UNESCO-endorsed debut in Times Square on New Year’s Eve 1999 to its ongoing exploration of global olfactory heritage, the project acts as a beacon for biodiversity preservation. By identifying culturally significant plants worldwide and blending them into the global “world scent,” the initiative activates conversations about the value of aromatic plants for humanity.
In an era of biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse, World Sensorium highlights the intricate relationships between natural and cultural heritage, and in turn, between ecology, society, and its social dynamics. The project’s original composition even included the evocative scent of peat, emblematic of tradition and ecological complexity. Now, World Sensorium:
