• October 24 2020 Work Party

    Sometimes I wish we could be there together, tending to place, healing wounds, connecting to the earth and to each other, forever. We are in my heart. A sincere thank you to all who came to help me build the kind of world I want to live in. You are all so needed. And so appreciated. Until next time. Love and grace, my friends.

  • October 10 2020 Work Party

    We unearthed root balls bigger than child-sized heads, bigger than my fist, not quite as big as my foot. In these root balls we saw brains and hearts and arteries and capillaries. We honored these roots even as we removed them from the earth, embracing it all. We were defenders of place, habitat, native ecosystems, and humankind. And then there was thunder, lightning, rain, and hail. If you stood still for just a moment, hail bouncing, rain pouring down, you might have deeply felt our inextricable connection to the earth and everyone and everything on it. It was good.

  • September 5 2020 Work Party

    We admired the tenacity of the Himalayan blackberry as a species and its multiple reproductive strategies. We marveled at the beauty of roots working so hard, curling and twisting and winding, to seek light despite six inches of cardboard and mulch to suppress them. We devised strategies to remove prickly canes without falling victim to sharp thorns, and we did the math that told us that we had found a cane that was the length of 5,000 sisters head to foot if she were to lie down next to it. We stood six feet from one another and realized that was close enough to feel the warm presence of a…

  • February 2020 Work Party

    There was the story of the tires – SO MANY TIRES – and how we kept finding them as we dug deeper and deeper into the earth. Who put them there? How long ago had it been? How would we carry them all out of the wetland? There was the story of Sally the salamander told in another post, which turned out to be a story about discovery, connection, and delight. Before that, there was the story of the biggest worm some of us had ever seen, and it turned out to be a story much like the one in which Sally appeared. There were so many stories. The story…

  • Swamp Creek Salamader

    I have so many things to share with you about our habitat restoration work party at Wallace Swamp Creek Park this past weekend! I am in the process of selecting the best pictures to share with you, but I couldn’t wait to share Sally (named by a fantastic 8 year old). I love that said 8 year old shouted out my name through the trees and Himalayan blackberry canes to share in the excitement of discovery. And that when that didn’t work someone came to find me. These moments of connection and delight are part of why I love gathering at Wallace Swamp Creek Park with you. Look for more…

  • December 2019 Work Party

    I’m going to share a secret with you all. I’ve had a number in mind when thinking about how many people I’d like to have participate in the Wallace Swamp Creek Park habitat restoration events that have happened this month and last. It’s been a different number each time. It’s really neither here nor there, because any number of people coming out is meaningful and matters. I would consider it a success – truly – if I worked alongside just one other community member to mend that space. But get this. You all have exceeded my secret number both times – by a lot! You amaze and delight and give…

  • November 2019 Work Party

    Today, as a community, we began the work of letting Wallace Swamp Creek Park breathe with more spaciousness and ease. Look at how we started! And look at how we ended! THANK YOU so much to everyone who came out today. My heart is full because you showed up. Thank you. We’ll be back in the park mid-December to continue the project. Look for an announcement with details soon!