Parallel Walks: Foraging in the city! What is it? How is it done? And is it worth it? with Journei Bimwala

Thursday, August 17
6:30-8:30 PM
Lower East Side and Creative Time HQ

Clinical herbalist and foraging practitioner Journei Bimwala led a short walk in the Lower East Side, focusing on the plants, weeds and trees that grow all around the streetscape. Within the short distance of a few blocks, visitors looked closely at urban greenery and learned to identify plants that are available for use in cooking, herbal remedies, and personal care. After gathering plants during the walk, visitors return to CTHQ for a hands-on workshop on how to prepare these plants for everyday use in an oxymel, a tonic that helps protect against the upcoming cold and flu season.

About Parallel Walks
Parallel Walks is a series of artist-led walks that take place in two locations, connected through a shared political, social, contextual, or geographic theme.

Parallel Walks: Creating A Community Forest: Artist Walk with Matthew López-Jensen

Saturday, August 12
12-1:30 PM
Mosholu Parkway, Norwood, The Bronx

Artist Matthew López-Jensen led a slow walk through and around the future home of the Mosholu Teaching Forest. López-Jensen is a “Super Steward” for this 20-acre site and he has been building a community coalition to help restore this landscape. The walk unpacked this complicated, years-long project and along the way the group assisted with some stewardship activity. The walk also visited important trees (like one of the oldest sassafras trees in New York City), looked at bedrock, talked about edible plants, discussed what makes a forest “healthy” and saw what happens when an urban forest is abandoned. López-Jensen also discussed the artistic layers that overlap with the project and the advocacy. The walk ended at the James Baldwin Outdoor Learning Center (JBOLC) Community Farmers Market.

About Parallel Walks
Parallel Walks is a series of artist-led walks that take place in two locations, connected through a shared political, social, contextual, or geographic theme.

Parallel Walks

Artist-led walks that occur in two simultaneous, separate places: one walk in New York City, and the other in a different part of the world. Both walks relate to each other through a shared political, social, contextual, or geographic theme.