Megan Kaminski | University of Kansas

Aubrey Streit Krug | The Land Institute

In this pre-conference workshop, we’ll discuss and generate ideas for publicly-engaged environmental humanities projects and practices that feature plant care. By immersing ourselves in place with plants, we’ll foster thinking on the projects we’ll be sharing and our own well-being at the beginning of a long conference.

Guiding questions:

Why do writers, artists, teachers, and researchers pursue civic engagement projects that center the care and tending of plants? What motivates us?

What kinds of care and work are involved in these projects, across stages of design, implementation, and publication or evaluation? How might this care and work be shared and supported?

What are some strategies for building and sustaining relationships with project partners, such as libraries, museums, gardens and farms, non-profit organizations, civic agencies, and advocacy groups? What are some practical ways to engage communities with plants?

What creative and critical insights emerge from public plant humanities projects? What do these projects lead to?

Pre-work: Each workshop participant will be invited to contribute a relevant project example along with a text or source that motivates their work, and to bring a nascent project idea of their own.