Reading Station

PROJECT III

project iii

Welcome to the Embodied Earth Digital Reading Room!

This interactive kiosk allows you to explore in depth, at your own pace, the topics that make up embodied earth

Environmental Justice & Community Engagement

Environmental justice is:

The right for everyone to have the same environmental protections

Meaningful involvement in policies that impact their communities

Environmental racism occurs when corporations and governments intentionally site polluting and waste facilities in BIPOC and low-income communities.

Community engagement is essential to environmental justice and addressing environmental racism.

Are you interested in learning more about environmental justice and community engagement?

Check out this piece from NRDC for an overview of the Environmental Justice Movement

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Check out this piece from NRDC for an overview of Environmental Racism

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Check out this interactive piece from The New York Times to learn about the connection between redlining and the distribution of green space in cities

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Learn about the connection between environmental justice and urban agriculture from Karen Washington, a farmer at Rise & Root Farm in New York

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Check out this tool to find a community garden near you

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See the printed papers to get an idea of what community engagement looks like in research and how science is used to investigate the problem of environmental gentrification

Check out these environmental justice organizations in NYC

WE ACT

NYC Environmental Justice Alliance

Food Security & Food Sovereignty

Food security is when people have access to enough safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences.

Food sovereignty is the right for people to (1) have healthy and culturally appropriate food that is produced sustainably and (2) define their own food and agriculture systems.

Food security and sovereignty are also tied to environmental justice and ensures that communities have ownership over what they consume and put in their bodies.

Are you interested in learning more about Food Security & Food Sovereignty?

Learn more about food insecurity and solutions

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Check out Swale, an innovative solution aimed at addressing food security in NYC by allowing foraging on the water

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Check out the La Via Campesina movement, which first used the term “food sovereignty”

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Check out this Treehugger article for an overview on food sovereignty

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Read about the benefits of community gardens and how they support food security

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Read this interview for insights on Indigenous food sovereignty from Sara Calvosa Olson, who wrote a traditional cookbook

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Check out these organization working toward food justice

Guerrilla Gardening

Guerrilla gardening is the act of growing plants in neglected spaces. “Guerrilla” means one doesn’t have authorization to grow in a given space, which often means it is deemed illegal.

This form of gardening can look like planting “seed balls” or food gardens to support food security. Guerrilla gardeners can also support urban communities with a lack of trees and green space.

Are you interested in learning more about Guerrilla Gardening?

Check out this Treehugger article about guerrilla gardening

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Read this story from The New York Times about Jenny Benitez, a guerilla gardener in Harlem whose dream garden came to life

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Learn how to make seed bombs (balls of seeds that you can plant)

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Check out the organization Green Guerillas

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And take action to tell Mayor Adams to stand with community gardens!

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Take it further with FREE online classes on restoring nature and learn how to be a guerilla gardener!

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See the printed paper on rethinking guerilla gardening, with examples from around the world

Green Spaces & Climate Change

Green spaces in urban environments are essential for climate mitigation and adaptation. Mitigation means preventing negative climate impacts while adaptation means developing strategies to live under more extreme conditions.

Trees contribute to climate mitigation by capturing carbon. Nature in green spaces contributes to climate adaptation by providing shade, cooling neighborhoods, and absorbing floodwater.

Are you interested in learning more about Green Spaces & Climate Change?

Learn what nature-based solutions are and how they address climate change

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Learn about the many benefits of green spaces in cities

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Read this powerful opinion piece on the necessity of radical change to address climate change (of course green spaces are a necessary part of this transformation, but what else is needed?)

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Green Spaces & Health

Green spaces are beneficial for both physical and mental health. They provide space for recreational activities such as walking and sports. People can also meet in green spaces to socialize with others or take a break from the daily stresses of life.

Nature is also known to have psychological benefits, such as improving memory, attention, creativity, and emotional and spiritual well-being.

Are you interested in learning more about Green Spaces & Health?

Read about the biophilia hypothesis, the idea that humans have an innate need to connect with nature

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See this brief introduction to the field of ecopsychology (and schools where you can study it!)

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Read this article on how community gardening can benefit your mental health

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See this webpage for information on how nature is beneficial for our mental health

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See this article that highlights the importance of choosing the right tree species to improve air quality

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See this Story Map on community gardens in the US

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See the printed paper, a meta-analysis (analysis of multiple papers) on the benefits of gardening to health

Eco-Poetry

Eco-poetry is about the natural environment and has environmentalist themes, meaning it advocates for the environment. By touching on these themes, eco-poetry goes beyond nature poetry.

Are you interested in reading eco-poetry?

The Tree Agreement by Elise Paschen

After reading this poem, think about any trees that are significant in your own life

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Some Questions About the Storm by Hilda Raz

After reading this poem, think about a storm that may have happened in your own life. Was any nature “destroyed,” and how do you view it now?

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Our City is Guided by Automatic Rockets by William E. Stafford

After reading this poem, think about the following quote: “I think our story should not end–or go on in the dark with nobody listening.” How do you think this applies to climate emotions (e.g. a sense of helplessness or doomerism)?

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In Response to a Question: “What Does the Earth Say?” by William E. Stafford

After reading this poem, think about the following quote: “Listening, I think that’s what the earth says.” How do you listen to the earth in your own life? How can you pay more attention to the nature around you?

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We hope you learned something new and are inspired to take action to support community gardening!

sources

NRDC

NRDC

World Bank Group

La Via Campesina

Treehugger

World Economic Forum

Poetry Foundation

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