A new sculpture will be launched at Cortes Island School this Friday.
Called the Green Dragon, it’s a nearly 16-metre-long willow sculpture designed to support School District 72’s plan of turning the school grounds into a rich outdoor learning space.
Local artists Amy Robertson, Helen Hall, and Eve Johnson built the sculpture with four types of willow trees, which are Salix fragilis, Salix purpurea, Salix triandra, and Salix alba britzensis. The mouth opens students to a sitting area in the body, with two exits near its tail.
School District 72 says the aim of the sculpture is to give students a spot in the shade to read, imagine, and connect with the natural world around them.
“It overlooks the school gardens, the nearby faerie forest (also home to the “Unicorn Club”), and the fields, one of which will be rewilded this summer into a wetland,” said SD 72.
“In time, the school hopes to plant a small willow grove near the wetland and build a Klahoose medicinal plant garden. This will give students the chance to learn the ancient art of willow weaving and other traditional plant-based skills.”
The district says the launch day will include a dragon chant parade, arts and crafts, and bardcore music, which is medieval versions of popular music.
