Practicing in Place
Bioregion
Space= modern, abstract, objective, distant.
Place= intimate, meaningful, named.
We learn place. We make and remake places. And places make and remake us.
Bioregion= a geographical area defined by ecological regions, not by political borders...a community of plants, fungi, and animals adapted to climates and watersheds.
You are also part of this bioregion community.
Practices to relearn intimacy with place:
Go to a part of your region that is relatively unbuilt: a meadow, a forest, a river or beach, a city park...whatever is available.
If it is a safe area, try walking barefoot. Feel the landscape and the earth. Sense your feet in contact with this place.
Let the pace of the place slow you down. Pause. Look closely at simple things and details. Get to know a small part of your bioregion.
Be curious.
See, smell, touch, listen to animals, insects, small plants, "weeds," trees, mushrooms and dead leaves. Let yourself attune to a less anthropocentric, less human-centered scale.
Let yourself be surprised.
Notice if there are parts of this place that feel wounded or disrespected in some way.
Take a few photos on your smart phone. Or write a short poem about this specific place.
Do you know your water?
What is your relationship with the water you drink and bathe in?
Where does this water come from?
Where does your waste water flow?
Do a little online research to find out. Then, take a fieldtrip to your city reservoir or other water supply.
You could also take a field trip to your waste-water facility. Spend some time there.
Reconnect with the water that always flows through your body. You are part of this place.
