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In 2015, artist and activist Gustav Metzger launched one of his ultimate significant endeavors. Known for creating art that erases itself, Metzger had dedicated his life to confronting human struggles from peace activism to plant-based living. Via a concise video message, he made a plea for a worldwide initiative to honor the environment.

“I, Gustav Metzger, am asking for your participation in this global appeal for a day of action to remember nature on November 4th, 2015,” he declared, inviting artists and creatives to stand against the ongoing loss of flora and fauna. “Our task is to make audiences aware of the abundance and sophistication in nature … and by doing so creativity will explore domains that are naturally imaginative.”

The Creation of Nature Remembrance

In this way the Nature Remembrance initiative was established, a day when cultural practitioners throughout Britain created responses to the unfolding climate catastrophe. Jo Joelson, who worked closely with Metzger in his last days, recalls his sense of urgency. “I sensed a strong sense of urgency for him at the close of his days,” she says. “My advice was – don’t delay. No need to pause for funding or for anyone to authorize this. Take action immediately.”

After Ten Years

After ten years, Remember Nature hasn’t quite incited the mass movement across the arts that Metzger had hoped for, but supporters think its impact can still be seen in campaigns like artist-led declarations and environmental protests, as well as in how artists approach the sustainability of their work. That’s why she is restaging it to commemorate its decade milestone. Included in the 18 lead artists taking part currently are Cornelia Parker and other notable figures. Each has designed posters, recorded calls to action, and created artworks set to be presented on November 4, 2025.

Planting Hope

In conversation with Anya Gallaccio, she is out in a field in a rural area, cultivating apple trees that will create a circular grove. Working with schoolchildren, her project is part creative piece and part learning experience. She describes, the design and cultivation sessions have already involved learning about measurements (measuring out the distances between trees), science (exploring the apple’s DNA), and origins (tracing the journeys of how distinct varieties arrived in Britain).

A lot of the apples were chosen because they’ve got amusing labels such as the other unusual varieties. We have one apple that ‘bleeds’ scarcolored sap

“Several the apples were picked because they’ve got amusing labels such as the Duck’s Bill,” says Gallaccio. “We have one apple that produces crimson liquid. Every one carries histories attached. The historical cultivar was imported by the Romans. The Flower of Kent is the apple that descended from a tree and struck Isaac Newton’s head.”

Gallaccio wanted the children to be more consciously engaged of the environment and the power we have over it. “To many of them, apples were just things you find in a supermarket, so I was prompting them, when they go shopping, to read the label and see what they’re called and their origin. Perhaps it indicates Kent!”

Cultural Projects Throughout Britain

Within the city, a participant’s project on disappearance will include attendees exploring Tate Modern on a journey to find the frozen formations that have been disappeared in recent years. Every ice sheet will be drawn on the museum surfaces using ultraviolet markers. Whenever one is found, a chime will sound and a reading will be performed to honor that specific ice mass.

At the same time, up in Barrow-in-Furness, Maddi Nicholson will be putting on a open display about our disconnection from the land, as well as organizing a community dinner, made using organic, local produce. Over in Newcastle, an artist is broadcasting her Some Kind of Love / Forest Choir, in which local singers undertake a task to use music to heal flora in a green space.

Young Insights

Similar to other artists, another participant will be working with schoolchildren – on the scheduled date she is aiming to cover Cambridge’s Kettle’s Yard in kids’ letters and drawings that document their hopes and fears for the years ahead. “Youthful expressions are powerful because they’re not as restricted as adults’,” she says in her call to action video. “The contributions of youth to the world is something distinctive and perhaps it can inspire a sense of responsibility from everyone. Kids are unbiased. They have fears about the future. But this shouldn’t be about worry – it should be about hope and our responsibility that they see a better world.”

Remembrance and Reflection

Paul Harfleet’s work also connects with children. Drawing on past experience, his feathered initiative involves illustrating avians and then dressing up as them – and for Remember Nature day he is intending to represent Liverpool’s famous Liver bird. He is also staging a itinerant journey of the city, visiting various sites that have been part of his long-term work over the recent decades. This endeavor commenced following he experienced multiple occurrences of prejudice on a single day. In response, Harfleet decided to sow a flower at the spot where it happened and record it – the project has since expanded to include incidents experienced by other people across the world. “The flowers remain there but they don’t often last,” says Harfleet. “Reportedly birds consume them, so they’re a ephemeral memorial.”

He picked the bloom not just for the clear connection – it has long been a derogatory label – but also because its etymology comes from the French verb, penser, to think. “It became associated with a man who is thoughtful, and that, of course, is a bad quality,” he says.

The plan on Remember Nature day is to place blooms at fresh spots and also renew the tributes in places he has marked earlier, all the while talking to those on the walking tour about the events and his recollections. “We’ve seen quite a few following earlier installations,” he says sadly.

Moving Forward with Hope

He desires his work – and