Two different urban researchers, charmingly named of Field Office, made a video about looking at Berlin plants. It reminds me of how, when I arrive in a new place, I suddenly don’t recognize most of the trees, leaf shapes, anything really except a few international plants like lawn grass and dandelions.
Rather than focusing on tracking down a name for each plant, these two explorers captured something much more elusive: a feeling, not of knowing, but of wondering.
P.S. I love the green corridors in Wedding where this video was made.
Thanks for sharing the video, Leslie. Such a phenomenological approach to botanizing.
Thanks for watching it. I think part of me tends to look at plants in a similar way — experiencing rather than trying to name them — but that approach seems to have diminished as the project went on. Interestingly, I think it was Sara who initially dove into identifying species and learning about them, though I had more botany background at that point. Perhaps it was foraging that got me more interested in identification; after all, I didn’t want to eat the wrong thing by accident!
Thanks for the mention, Leslie. Really wonderful to read your thoughts about it!
You’re very welcome; glad I could share the video. It makes me want to make videos too, which would be a pretty new medium for me (though Sara has made a few Urban Plant moving portraits)…
An cute way to pay attention to our nature!