Photo credit: Kate Glicksberg
Yesterday almost 100 people at final count showed up in the rain to sow seeds in Bed Stuy! The rain made the event skew much younger and much more childless than expected, which means that more fun stuff should really happen in the future, so that more people can get in on it!
The good news is that there will be countless opportunities to do so! Flowers are great, but what really energizes me is the fact that most volunteers had their own ideas about making the world a better place! I had conversations with people about organized clothing swaps; litter; street trees; helping landlords make better choices about insulating and choosing good windows--the list goes on and on!
There is talk of seeding the Gowanus and Crown Heights--it's a Meadow Revolution! And the result is not just going to be flowers. The seed is a metaphor, minds are being seeded, and creative, ground-up examples of Rogue Environmental Leadership will continue to be brainstormed, shaped and acted upon here at 21st Century Plowshare!
I think that a lot of flowers are going to grow, and I love waking up and feeling hopeful about that this morning. I love the sensation that something good is about to happen! It's been such a tense, dreary, The-World-Is-Falling-Apart winter, but the truth is that we have the power to make good news happen!
We could get more landlords to buy efficient refrigerators!
We could make more greenspace in this city!
This is just talk, but we could figure out whether individuals should introduce some kind of toxin-munching organism into the Newtown Creek!
The next phase of Bed Stuy Meadow is about to commence. Every single person who donated more than $10 to the Meadow is going to get a seed bomb delivered to their house as soon as I order more seeds and make them! Once you folks get your seed bombs, go throw them someplace, and watch them grow! Then send 21st Century Plowshare a picture, and mark the location on the Mini Meadow Map that will soon be created!
There will also be t-shirts and other Meadow Stuff available soon, so that you can spread the Meadow Word in style!
The idea of the Meadow is simple: it's an environmental action that's meant to delight you and make you feel powerful! Meadow is the opposite of Earth Hour!
Get involved today! Email me an idea. Donate ten bucks and get on the Mini-Meadow Map. Take a walk in your own neighborhood and think about how you can make it better!
Just wanted to share the pictures of Zone 1A being bombed. http://eyelasssh.blogspot.com/2009/04/guerilla-gardening.html
Posted by: KK | 04/12/2009 at 09:10 AM
The thought is great, but you dismissed one vital element -- involving the people in planning how change happens in their OWN communities.
Next time try visiting with local schools or block associations. How about talking with people on the street about what they would like to see different where they live?
The people have all rights to regulate their own communities. Don't take that right for granted.
Posted by: Raquel Wilson | 04/13/2009 at 02:17 PM
Queens Botanical Garden resonates with your project. We are trying to promote the ideas of using plants and soils to serve and solve a multitude of Urban environmental problems. We will be distributing seed bombs on Gardening Day Sunday, April 26. There will be lectures on green roofs & more! www.queensbotanical.org.
Patty Kleinberg
Posted by: Patty Kleinberg | 04/14/2009 at 08:25 PM