What precious belonging would you want to keep safe?

This project collects stories of what people’s most precious belongings are and why they are so important to them to evacuate. This could be a belonging that they feel sentimental about, something of high value, or maybe something so necessary that they cannot imagine having to do without.

Someone’s dog favourite toy

A photograph of someone’s grandfather

The ashes of someone’s loved ones

The tractor of a homesteader

What is one of your most precious belongings?
Share it in the guest book below, and we would love to hear why this item is so important to you. ANYONE can share, no matter where in the world you live or if wildfires are a threat for you or not. Your story will be public, but your email address won’t be visible for others, and you can choose any name for yourself. We would love to hear from you! *Animals and people are not considered objects / belongings.

Future artworks of select belongings
Artist Petra Hekkenberg will select about 25 stories of precious belongings, and make an artwork of these. Your story could be selected! If so, you will be contacted by the artist in the Fall or Winter of 2025 and asked if you would like to partake with your belonging. The artworks will be exhibited in New Denver in the Summer of 2026, and included in a book publication of the project.

from Area H
June 4, 2025

I chose the tractor as a very high value item when we were evacuated as it is used most days, winter and summer, for our off-grid life. It sees use in the garden, for road maintenance, chipping brush/ trees for fire mitigation, splitting wood, mowing, snow removal, and for loading / unloading logs and lumber on the mill. Many aspects of our life rely on this very useful tool!!

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What is your most precious belonging?