Resource Roundup: Collective Plant Magic & Growing Consciousness around Environmental Justice
Written by Zelda Mayer
Resources provided by Maggie George
This month, as we prepare for Women Unite!’s yearly Plantasia plant sale, our attention is called to the fact that natural resources are in peril. Wildfires have broken out across the globe, smoke is spreading across the US, and yet another gas pipeline leak caused an apocalyptic-looking fire in the ocean — the latest in a string of climate disasters. Simultaneously, as many have noted, billionaires are racing to space in the most public displays of who has the biggest junk (seriously, fuck Jeff Bezos and all his friends).
In these moments, when the problems feel like a train that’s already left the station and headed inevitably into disaster, it’s easy to allow our actions (or inactions) to come from a place of hopelessness and overwhelm us. Climate anxiety and climate grief, understandably, are on the rise. But, as therapist and attachment theory specialist Jessica Fern points out, developing a conscious, secure relationship with the natural world not only helps us feel less mental stress, but also facilitates a sense of empowerment to fight for change.
As environmental justice movements have taught us, the natural world is not separate from the systems and structures that impact our daily lives. From Indigenous land back movements, to fresh food access in cities, to above average asthma rates near industrial sites, how we treat people and how we treat land are inextricably linked.
As we celebrate plant magic this month, we must also focus on moving towards a healthy relationship with our environment. Now is the time to fight for our earth and all those who inhabit it. That’s why we’ve compiled some resources to support your environmental justice journey, the majority of which are from BIPOC leaders. Peruse through, engage with what speaks to you, and keep the plant magic alive.
What to Listen to
Green Dreamer Podcast: Hosted by Kamea Chayne, Green Dreamer grapples with collective healing, ecological regeneration, and finding true abundance for all.
All My Relations: All My Relations is a podcast hosted by Matika Wilbur (Swinomish and Tulalip) and Adrienne Keene (Cherokee Nation), centered on increasing Native peoples’ representation in media and complicating common narratives of Indigeneity. Although the podcast covers much more than just environmental justice, a key focus is relationships with land, capitalism, and colonialism.
What to Read
Braiding Sweetgrass: In this book, botanist and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Robin Wall Kimmerer brings together Indigenous wisdom and scientific inquiry.
Perilous Bounty: A deepdive into modern American agriculture and the food industry, Perilous Bounty is an eye-opening and important read for anyone interested in the connections between food and climate change.
What to Support
Urban Growers Collective: Urban Growers Collective is a Black- and women-led non-profit farm in Chicago working to build a more just and equitable local food system through eight urban farms on 11 acres of land across the South Side. In addition to donating, check out their great volunteer opportunities to get your hands in some dirt!
Little Village Environmental Justice Organization: Since 1994, LVEJO has been organizing for healthier communities in Chicago with campaigns centering around clean power, public transit, and more.
In addition to these local Chicago organizations, there is inspiring grassroots environmental justice work happening across the country. In Chicago, we can support and learn from these community-focused groups:
Detroit Dirt: In 2010 Pashon Murray started Detroit Dirt, a local composting and waste collection company with a mission to help revitalize Detroit. You can buy their compost online or donate to support their closed loop model.
Sogorea Te’ Land Trust: Based in the Bay Area, Sogorea Te' Land Trust is an urban Indigenous women-led land trust that facilitates the return of Indigenous land to Indigenous people and supports the revitalization and rematriation of land. Projects include urban farming, cultivating traditional and medicinal plants, and an emergency response hub for climate change disasters.
What to follow
Get your daily dose of inspiration and make your Insta feed a bit more magical with these accounts:
@countrygentlemancooks: Justin Robinson is an AfroCarolinian ethnobotanist sharing the relationship between plants, food, culture, history, and social issues.
@siouxchef: Founded by Sean Sherman, the Sioux Chef focuses on the revitalization of Indigenous foods systems in a modern culinary context. For a deeper dive, you can also watch his TED Talk.
