There Grows the Neighborhood: Exploring Nature in Urban Settings (+ foraged sunset picnic @ the LA River)
June 12, 2016, 2-5pm
$5 Suggested Donation
With an open curiosity, ecocentric eye, handy field journal (free giveaway while supplies last) & receptive taste buds, we will explore the delights of nature still thriving & often ignored in our shared urbanized landscapes. This socio-biological exploration aims to serve as feast for the mind’s eye & doubly nourish the appetite as new palates are savored in foraging & picnicking with local edibles along the LA river.
Through an informal tour, we will learn about the ecology of places we live in & reconnect our selves in “rewilding” urban environments.
We will observe & identify local wildlife, learn about native/non-native plants through collecting & field notes while also tasting foraged nutrient-rich, commonly dismissed edibles (or “weeds”) & end with a sunset picnic along the river.
Let’s look outside of ourselves to focus our gaze inward at flowers, skyward towards trees, & listen closely to the songs of birds. Reexamine leaves as if they were maps, appreciate the daily travails of weird bugs, & ask the clouds outloud about the complex wonders found in fruiting mushrooms.
There are stories to be found and heard everywhere: of soil, air, migration, & seeds from different places. Let’s reflect & build ourselves altogether in direct experiences, new tastes, & sharing with others, human or non human..
Please bring pen/pencils, any art supplies desired, magnifying glasses (some will be provided & shared), a basket or bag for foraged greens,& a blanket or potluck dish to share at the end once we picnic.
Yara is an artist, naturalist explorer, nature educator, and interpretative horticulturalist at the Crescent Farm located in the LA County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. Guiding public tours, workshops, & everyday encounters with ecocentric philosophies & hands-on applications, Yara teaches native plant identification, sustainable water-harvesting techniques, organic soil & habitat remediation, as well as the fundamentals of agroecology. She is also currently working on native, medicinal/edible flora/fauna zines, children’s nature study comics, & creating subtle art forms in landscapes.
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At the Crescent Farm, we demonstrate effective, easily applicable, all-organic horticultural techniques that are wholly beneficial to EVERYONE (& I do mean everyone!). Our practices can help empower individuals in becoming more self-sustaining which ultimately contributes to the overall well-being of our environments. The Crescent Farm’s focus is in rebuilding the earth & rebuilding COMMUNITY within society. Our beliefs are founded on heeding to the call of, “Thinking globally and acting locally” (through positive, productive associations with everyday people &/in nature) & we hope to inspire others to do the same.
Check out the Crescent Farm’s website for our upcoming April 16th event featuring Ted Talks’ “Gangster Gardener” RON FINLEY (http://www.arboretum.org/events/crescent-farm-grand-opening/ or https://www.facebook.com/CommunityCrescentFarm/)