Michelle Boyle
Virginia , Ireland
Michelle Boyle’s work explores people and place from everyday life expressed in her distinctive spontaneous and fluid way. ‘
MessageA Message from Water to Killyconny Bog.
Without me you cannot survive, you cannot grow. For nearly 10,000 years I have helped you grow from a pool of water after the last Ice Age into a magnificent Bog, more than 10 metres deep in some places.
Your beautiful colours of Sphagnum mosses - the reds, the greens, the yellows and the rich browns will fade away without me – turn to dust and disappear.
I create deep pools of water, maybe treacherous to humans, but underneath and above my dark liquid live a wonderful variety of plants and animals. The Lesser Bladderwort uses minute bladders underwater to suck in and digest tiny insects for food. Don’t be deceived by its pretty yellow flowers above.
From my dark pools emerge beautiful dragonflies and damselflies – restless acrobats which feed on other insects. Under my dark waters is the home of their not so beautiful immature stage -the nymph. Without me this miraculous metamorphosis could not occur.
I am about 90% of healthy growing peat bogs – together we supply water to surrounding areas and stop flooding by staying in this wonderful sponge.
Together we grow into a huge store of carbon which is also very important.
We depend on each other so please do not drain me away from the peatlands. I hope that I shall keep falling from the skies to help protect this unique habitat is an essential part of our natural world, upon which humans depend.
Killyconny Bog Cavan