FINDING SCIENTIFIC LANDSCAPES

Why is there a Farm in the middle of Ottawa?

Should government support scientific research? Can science be beautiful? Seeking to answer these questions, this seminar explores the past, present, and future of scientific agriculture at the Central Experimental Farm and the Farm’s intricate relationship with both the city and the nation. While walking through a diverse collection of landscapes and jumping back and forth across the 129-year history of the Farm, we will discuss the principles, politics, and aesthetics of experimental agriculture, city planning, and heritage policies. The tour begins with an example of contemporary conservation biology at the Fletcher Wildlife Garden before exploring the Dominion Arboretum, Ornamental Gardens, and the experimental fields themselves. Our last stop is at the Hartwell Locks to compare and contrast UNESCO and Canadian heritage policies where two scientific heritage landscapes, the Rideau Canal and the Central Experimental Farm, meet. The conversation continues across the Canal at Carleton University’s campus pub. Throughout the seminar we will remain focused on the ways science influences the landscapes we’re moving through as well as those further a field in the city of Ottawa and across Canada.