2021 Grubhub Grant Proposal

2/16/21 UPDATE: WE WERE NOT SELECTED. WINNERS LOCATED ON THIS PAGE

Grubhub Grant Project: Preserving Holy Well, Sacred Springs, and Magical Waters. Grubhub driver Thomas Baurley is recording various cultural resources in his local communities, nationwide, and internationally through the preservation by dissemination of knowledge. He seeks the Grubhub Grant to continue recording, writing, and publishing these resources to keep them protected. Run time: 4 minutes, 55 seconds. January 1, 2021. Soundtrack: By the Harbor by Mhem, A Magisto video with Winter theme. https://www.magisto.com/video/L1QfNFYOCj4xVkZhCzE?l=vsm&o=w&c=c

The Essay:

The fantastic world of the gig economy, especially through Grubhub, is enabling me to pursue the writing and recording of endangered cultural resources around the Western World. My name is Thomas Baurley, I’m a gig-working Archaeologist, folklorist, environmentalist, writer, and photographer – recording the world around me to share with others to help keep its history alive. I believe that one of the most beneficial methods in preserving history is by making others know about it – keeping it alive in oral and written history. One of the most crucial vanishing historical resources we have are holy wells, sacred springs, and magical waters.

Revered for their sustenance, offered to for the folklore and healing properties, soaked in for their mysterious health benefits … these bodies of water are either over-commercialized, lost, overgrown in a farmyard, or trashed by hooligans. I’ve recorded over 200 wells and springs in Ireland, a dozen or so in Wales and Scotland, about 22 in the UK, a few in Germany and the Czech Republic, and about 30-40 in the United States. Gig working with GrubHub – before and after my shifts and during lulls of awaiting requests, I’m recording history for my community and the world. In addition, Driving and delivering for Grubhub affords me the ability to explore monuments, memorials, parks, natural resources, and water sources in areas I’d normally not go. Discovering as I drive, stopping and picking up trash that people carelessly dispose of when seeing it and helping clean up these special places.

Publishing it on my Naiads.org web site as well as writing guides. I believe that getting this information out in print and digital text makes the readers aware of these endangered resources, inspires others to visit them, and, by traveling to them – brings attention to them, allows them to be repaired, cared for, and preserved for future generations to enjoy. In addition, this awareness and attention brings focus to them locally, nationally, and internationally, preventing large corporations from draining them or commercializing them. This is my life’s purpose as a water protector, a well-watcher, and a spring guardian.

Grubhub has brought me the freedom to create my own schedule to balance my creativity with the ability to make a living. I hope for Grubhub’s grant to continue my research, recording, and preservation of these very important resources on the verge of being forgotten into extinction. This grant would help enable me to finish the recording in Europe as well as North America, covering travel costs, equipment such as GPS monitoring equipment for accurate maps, and costs of keeping this information available to those seeking it. More information can be explored at wells.naiads.org. 

The less than 5-minute video can be viewed here: https://naiads.org/?p=7051 or Magisto: https://www.magisto.com/video/L1QfNFYOCj4xVkZhCzE?l=vsm&o=w&c=c

2/16/21: GRUBHUB SELECTS WINNERS OF 2021 GRANTS. (We were not selected)