Becoming the Ocean : A River Dart Journey Through the Wild, the Ancient and the Sacred

Author: Julian Carnell

United Kingdom, Great Britain

Published on 1 January 1800 by Sharpham in the United Kingdom.

Other | 346 pages
216 x 140 | 399g

Inundated with news reports aboutthe terrible state of England’s rivers the author discovers that onlyfifty-eight Salmon have been counted in the River Dart in the last year, a morethan 99% decline. Pollution by sewage, chemicals and fertiliser has led to hugedeclines in the wildlife that rely on our watery ecosystems. He decides to findout what has happened to this famous Devon river and embarks on a pilgrimageexploring the wildlife, landscapes and history surrounding the river as itdescends from the high granite tors of Dartmoor through the lowlands beforebecoming an estuary and reaching the ocean 47 miles later.

We visit ancient woodlands, peatbogs, waterfalls and marshes and learn about the insects, birds, fish and otherthreatened wildlife the river supports. On the way we discover the amazinghistories the river has created over thousands of years, with tales ofscientists, seafarers, artists and philosophers who have left their mark on theriver whilst having global impacts which have profoundly influenced 21stcentury thought.

During the journey he asks how wefell out of love with our rivers and allowed their decline? Can we reconnectwith our waterways and the nature they support and somehow save them? We meetsome of the local people working to raise awareness of the problems and developthe solutions that will make a difference. The author has spent a decademanaging the historic Sharpham Estate on the banks of the river, rewilding theland and offering meditation retreats centred on cultivating mindfulness andnature connection as antidotes to the mental health crisis and the catastrophicdecline in our wildlife. The story of the Dart is both unique and symbolic ofall our rivers and our relationship with the world around us. By integratingmindfulness and rewilding the land we can forge a new and positive future forour rivers and all our nature which includes all humanity.

This book is an attempt to tell thestory of a river through a personal pilgrimage and in doing so explore thechallenges that not only our rivers are facing but that society as a whole iswrestling with: climate change, the loss of our wildlife and our decliningmental health. All these crises are negatively impacting our rivers but ourrivers can also be part of the solution if we can come together to care forthem. The story of the Dart encompasses: history, archaeology, natural history,politics, colonialism, agriculture, literature and art as it flows through thecenturies. The book sets out to tell these stories in an accessible way whilstweaving a narrative that links them to the major environmental and politicaldevelopments that the river has witnessed.

Becoming the Ocean comes at atimely moment when interest in our rivers has never been higher. The public areoutraged at stories of sewage being dumped and the water companies making hugeprofits. A citizen army has taken up the cause and the River Dart is at theforefront of these voluntary groups working to hold the powers that be toaccount.