Photos by J. Lester Feder
Ever wondered about what we can learn from the plants that have survived our worst behaviors - the so called weeds that can thrive in industrial sludge, the hidden edible botanicals determined to grow amid the changing climate and landscape?
We teamed up with immersive eco-art perfomance company Artichoke Dance Company and plant stewards Journei Bimwala and Candace Thompson as we toured the changing neighborhood of Gowanus, talked about its impact on all of us and learned from the wild plants still growing despite everything.
With seed collecting from Next Epoch Seed Library and a stop along the Gowanus Canal Conservancy's lowlands nursery. Followed by an exquisite light meal from C.U.R.B. made from mostly foraged ingredients, including a Gowanuspacho and acorn muffins with Biochar aioli (aka black mayonnaise).
ARTICHOKE DANCE COMPANY
Artichoke Dance Company is a national leader in eco-arts creations, working at the intersection of performing arts innovation, environmental activism, community building and civic engagement. Based in Brooklyn, the Company has been producing events in Gowanus for over a decade. This immersive performance tour format connects audiences with Gowanus history and brings people to locations pertinent to the superfund remediation of the Gowanus Canal and rezoning of the neighborhood with embedded site performances, reflecting on the rapidly changing area and envisioning a resilient future.
CANDACE THOMPSON /C.U.R.B.
Candace Thompson (all pronouns accepted) is a (human) land steward and media maker who collaborates with soil, plants, microbes, fungi, animals, food, land, computers and other human beings in the search for mutualism amidst the ongoing climate crisis Their project, The Collaborative Urban Resilience Banquet (C.U.R.B.) uses citizen science, non-human storytelling and foraged community meals to imagine a future where the streets are 'clean enough to eat off of'. They also manage Solar 1's Stuy Cove Park, a newly redesigned public greenspace that uses systems thinking to explore the intersecting issues of urban ecology and human quality of life.
JOURNEI BIMWALA
Journei Bimwala is a homeschooling mother of three, clinical herbalist, foraging practitioner, certified health coach, transformational coach, and educator based in New York. She passionately connects people to nature, serving as the Community Coordinator for the New York Mycological Society and Resident Artist at the Bronx River Alliance. Through her diverse expertise and dedication, she empowers others to embrace holistic wellness and environmental stewardship, fostering a deeper connection between humanity and the natural world.
NEXT EPOCH SEED LIBRARY
The Next Epoch Seed Library (NESL) reimagines the conventional seedbank for an era defined by the massive ecological impacts of Capitalism and resource extraction. Rather than focusing on utility or agricultural heritage, we work with adaptable, weedy plants who have co-evolved with dense human populations. These plants are our indispensable companions as we inhabit novel ecosystems and journey through climate chaos together.
GOWANUS CANAL CONSERVANCY
Gowanus Canal Conservancy (GCC) advocates and cares for ecologically sustainable parks and public spaces in the Gowanus lowlands while empowering a community of stewards. The Lowlands Nursery is a mission-driven, not-for-profit community nursery run by Gowanus Canal Conservancy offering plants that are well-adapted to the urban conditions of Gowanus, celebrating the local ecosystem while educating and engaging the community in environmental stewardship.