How to eat weeds in Hawaii

Oahu-based public artist Gaye Chan once told me and Marko that we were part of her lost tribe. If by that she means we are into Free Stores, foraging free food, and eating weeds, then yes, we are!

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First walk in Lichtenberg, with nettles and a rainbow

We made our first urban plant expedition in Lichtenberg today. Yesterday, Sara and I moved into the Lichtenberg Studios in Berlin where we are in residence this week. Our first order of business today was to explore the neighborhood on foot and see what kind of plants, parks, flower shops, green spaces and other urban nature we might find. Here are some of the things we saw, smelled, observed, tasted…

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Mexico: Jimena Lascurain finds poetry in plants

“A branch of a plant that stuck into the wall. The rest of the plant grows in the opposite direction.” In San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico. By Jimena Lascurain.

Mexico: I’ve never seen the country, or its plants, with my own eyes. I only know the Mexican-American culture and plants that permeated my youth in California, which I loved, such as seeing edible cactus leaves, fresh tortillas and corn husks in every grocery store and eating paper plates of takeout tacos covered in cilantro. I will visit in person some day. But today, let’s travel there visually, via these urban plant photos shared by Jimena Lascurain in Mexico City.

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Elderflower season draws to a close

It’s been a wonderful spring for elderflowers in Berlin, their huge creamy white sprays appearing by the dozen on the simple green trees and shrubs that, until then, nobody had paid any attention to, like this low-growing specimen obscuring some graffiti. They perfumed the air around them, and the food and drinks of anyone who took the time to stop and forage.

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NY Parks Department now against foraging?

Edible plants (woodruff and bear’s garlic) spotted on a foraging tour in a Berlin park.

The New York Times chimed into our discussion on urban foraging this weekend with an article about the New York City Parks Department enforcing park rules about foraging: namely, that it is not allowed.

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