Have I written about the MEMO project before? I can’t remember. Here’s what it does:
MEMO is an educational charity dedicated to building an ongoing memorial to extinct species. The memorial will be a stone monument bearing the images of all the species of plants and animals known to have gone extinct in modern times … The MEMO will be a circular enclosure of Portland limestone open to the sky. Its inside surface will be carved with the images of all the species of plants and animals known to have perished in modern times. It will be both a scientific record of historically extinct creatures and a celebration of the unique liveliness of each of them. The space enclosed will be a forum and theatre in which to examine our relationships with other lifeforms and celebrate the diverse life of this extraordinary planet.
I won’t quote any more than that from their excellent website. Find yourself an idle computer with an internet connection and read it yourself.
I love MEMO, not just for what it is but also because it’s all happening on my beloved Isle of Portland.
In 2009 they cast a bell to be rung every time a species is declared extinct – and on other occasions. It’s a wonderful thing, as you can see. And I’ve stolen these pics of the making of it from their Facebook page (yes, you can go there and like them), and I hope they won’t mind because it’s all in a good cause and I know at least one of the readers of this blog is a multi-millionaire.
