Our Story
Our Mission
The Heathmere Center
“It is with Ann’s gracious legacy of genuine intellectual curiosity, fearless inquiry, innovation, faithful search for truth, and selfless charity in mind that I and others began to brain storm ways to turn her legacy into something concrete and lasting.”
– Pilar Pérez Serrano PhD, Ann’s former student and colleague
Why “Heathmere”?
Undeterred, Ann set out to tend, nurture and cultivate her heath, which eventually grew and spread to surround her home, integrating itself with its easier-to-grow cousin, heather. The small patches of heath became a vital component of her expansive, fecund and diverse garden. “Mere” is the Scottish word for water. Since her property overlooked Chebacco Lake, she called her home, “Heathmere.”
Why “Cultural Engagement”?
We have chosen the term “cultural” to reflect several aims of our Center. First, its root derivation from the Latin “colere,” meaning to tend to the earth and grow, or cultivate and nurture, not only reflects Ann’s love of gardening, but also reflects the way humans interact with each other as well as with the earth itself. Whether human or plant, we all need a culture in which to grow, thrive and express ourselves. Yet culture can also serve as a source of conflict, disagreement and tension. Acknowledging the central role of culture for human life, our work aims to cultivate dialogic interaction amongst various cultures in order to affirm their diversity, constant change and need for growth.
Our Partners
