Collaborative, More-Than-Human and place-based III
Remembering Gateshead Riverside Park
…beautiful leaves
we are leaves
and we do not want to be harmed
look after nature
we are nature
and we have feelings
we have love and kindness
you too, you will have it
this is how we hug a tree
we are hugging a tree
it feels normal
on the ground
there is dirt
we are dirt
brown, big, small
here every day
for nature and human
because DIRT
and here because dirt is
next to city sounds
we are city sounds in nature
we exist next to each other
even though we are opposites
do we hear the same things
as a red beetle?
we are seen at 2% red beetle
we are seen in the sun
we are sun
nice and bright sky
and we will never stop
forever
we always make a fire circle
we are the fire circle
we are logs around a fire pit
for humans to sit on
and for bugs to live in
around us are Y trees
we are the Y tree
we have curved branches
that arch up towards the sky
our leaves are delicate
and shaped like hearts
- hearts the size of a fist
beautiful leaves
we are leaves
and we do not want to be harmed
look after nature…
Authors
A collaborative place-based story from Gateshead Riverside Park, crafted at Eslington Primary School Forest School, Rose Street, Gateshead NE8 2LS, on Friday 12 July 2024, between 10:30 and 11:30 BST, by Adrian, Brandan, Bryan, Dominic, Jake, Kirsty Recchia, Lotte Dijkstra, Ryan, Thea Heskett and the more-than-human beings and vibrant matterings present.
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WE ARE LEAVES
•
WE ARE NATURE
•
WE ARE HUGGING A TREE
•
WE ARE DIRT
•
WE ARE CITY SOUNDS
•
WE ARE A RED BEETLE
•
WE ARE SUN
•
WE ARE THE FIRE CIRCLE
•
WE ARE THE Y TREE
• WE ARE LEAVES • WE ARE NATURE • WE ARE HUGGING A TREE • WE ARE DIRT • WE ARE CITY SOUNDS • WE ARE A RED BEETLE • WE ARE SUN • WE ARE THE FIRE CIRCLE • WE ARE THE Y TREE
For a moment, we allowed ourselves to experience urban forest time. We investigated the more-than-human connections in and with Gateshead Riverside Park, using our bodies, personal stories, and collaborative place explorations. During and after each exercise, we recorded our responses. Remembering Gateshead Riverside Park is the story we uncovered.