Strange Harvests: The Hidden Histories of Seven Natural Objects

by Edward Posnett

The story of eiderdown seemed so different. In its unwritten rules of cooperation, eiderdown harvesting seemed close to the symbiosis that is often said to exist in the natural world between different species: the cleaner wrasse and the reef fish; the plover that picks the crocodile’s teeth; the pea crab that guards the blind pen shell. More than a particular harvesting technique, eiderdown offered the possibility of a different relationship with the natural world, one predicated on cooperation rather than domination. The Icelanders and the ducks were equal partners: if either party failed to abide by their contract, the other party could simply walk or waddle away. Inspired by its promise, I began reading about other harvests that offered similar stories of balance. I gathered seven strange objects: the down of a sea duck, a miniature gelatinous nest, an earthy coffee bean, a strand of dark golden silk, a fine cinnamon-hued fiber, an ivory pebble, and an ammoniacal powder. I found it electrifying to hold these strange objects, trying to conjure up the animals or plants from which they came. Their smells and textures were curious and unfamiliar, yet their strangeness transcended their forms, telling stories of cooperation and possibility. Each object served an important purpose in the natural world—as insulator, shelter, waste, anchor, or food—yet its removal, its harvest, need not spell discomfort, mutilation, or death.