-
Beyond Planting Trees
I was invited to share information about an upcoming Openlands Spanish TreeKeepers’ Course at the 18th Street Casa de Cultura (2057 W 18th St) ChiVes Open House, answer questions, and talked about what I love most about being a TreeKeeper. I am by no means an expert or ISA certified, but I do know enough to be able to help…
-
Amelanchier canadensis
I got home from work, and my husband had foraged my favorite native tree fruit in June. Also known as the shadbush, shadwood or shadblow, serviceberry or sarvisberry (or just sarvis), juneberry, saskatoon, sugarplum, wild-plum or chuckley pear, the genus of Amelanchier (/æməˈlænʃɪər/ am-ə-LAN-sheer) consists of about 20 species of deciduous-leaved shrubs and small trees in the rose family (Rosaceae).…
-
Community Conversations
I attended an Environmental Justice workshop, facilitated by Ayesha Qazu-Lampert and Ylanda Wilhite of Chicago Environmental Educators at the Academy for Global Citizenship at 4942 W 44th St, Chicago, IL 60638. Lupe Escárcega and Danielle Russell from Openlands is how I learned about the event. I didn’t grow up with many of the environmental career pathways that seem to be…
-
Filipino American History Month: My Reflections as a Filipina American
Growing up in Japan, I visited the Philippines every other Christmas and several summers. When I first moved to America for college, I experienced culture shock. I had visited the United States often and studied American history, but I had never lived—or identified—as an American until 2009. I am still learning what it means to be Filipino American. As a…
-
Urban Canopy Maps
The things being connected are called nodes and the connections are called links. The process and patterns are highlighted through streams, while the end goal may never be achieved. When I first realized I was part of the northeast end of Little Village, I had always assumed my home was within the boundaries of West Pilsen, Marshall Square, South Douglass…
