A MEADOW MADE BY WALKING
A MEADOW MADE BY WALKING
A Meadow Made by Walking documents the transformation of a one-acre parcel of land in central Ohio from soybean field to prairie. In stewarding this transformation, I have walked the prairie again and again and, slowly, accrued a literacy in this corner of landscape. My walks, which are subject to the influence of weather, plant density and my own stamina, vary greatly in their length and form. Most often the route is rambling and exploratory: searching for the emergence of new species or circumnavigating a cloud of creeping thistle.
By recording the path of each walk via GPS, I have accrued a substantial spatial inventory of my interactions with the site over time. I analyze their patterns, and respond with maintenance decisions that include seeding, weeding, burning and the mowing of paths.
I use the material mass of the prairie that emerges each summer as a self-renewing opportunity for space-making. The meadow’s dense vegetation provides a textured volume that I carve, divide, and occupy. The rapid growth cycle of this kind of herbaceous vegetation coupled with Ohio’s distinct seasonal shifts ensures that every week or two my students and I have new conditions in which to walk and respond.
50 distinct species of beneficial plants have replaced the former monoculture of soybeans for a one-time cost of $750 of native seed.
