- February 12, 2018 - Espace pour la vie
This year, the underlying theme at the four Espace pour la vie institutions is “Nature dwells within us.” What does that mean?
“To dwell” is a verb that refers to our home, a place that we find intimate, one that shelters us from the unpleasantness around us, like inclement weather. We live where we feel safe.
With time, though, we’ve come to pit our homes against nature. And yet, it is nature that nourishes and protects us, that provides us with the resources we need. In our part of the world it’s everywhere, but paradoxically we have the sense of being disconnected from it.
By ignoring it or, worse still, fearing it, it’s as though we’ve double-locked our door. In depriving ourselves of that relationship, we’re shutting ourselves off.
Charles-Mathieu Brunelle, the director of Espace pour la vie, neatly summed up the resulting challenge: “And if our freedom, finally, consisted in learning to dwell differently?”
Be part of the discussion
So we’re inviting you to come and consider the matter with us. This inspiring theme will take off with the Butterflies Go Free event, where you’ll get to discover the world of these very special beings and learn more about them through an original way of helping them out: by creating your own butterfly garden!
Experience how we can inhabit the planet differently by lodging in different animal shelters. With the new Nature Is Your Shelter route, you can crawl, climb and squeeze your way into habitats normally reserved for members of other species than ours. Their ingenuity will amaze you.
Come chat with leading experts during the Human and Nature Encounters. These inspiring and impressive get-togethers will help you reflect on the way in which we inhabit the Earth and on the alternatives available to us. Three get-togethers are scheduled for the year.
Also not to be missed: a visit by the legendary botanist Francis Hallé, who’ll be giving a lecture in late June. He’ll change the way you see trees forever!
Finally, explore the environment that surrounds…our planet. The Planetarium is presenting an exceptional double bill by showing the films Aboard the SSE-4801 and The Blind Man with Starry Eyes. Two works that promise to dazzle youngsters in the audience, and grownups as well.