Part of the vision of incorporating local clay into my practice is to use it as a means of engagement with the local community.  The tactile connection to place and the land has provided many opportunities for learning, preservation and reconciliation. The clay fish were made on Earth Day with students at Yarrow Community School and the pinch pots were made with students from the local middle school to memorialize the children whose graves were found at the site of former residential schools. I have also had the chance to take students and community members to collect clay. This is a simple way for students to connect raw materials with place and to understand how clay is transformed by the elements. In order to foster care for the natural environment connections like this are so helpful.