Land as collaborator

Cross-posted at The Wildwood Path

"My land." Oh dear, this is going to be a problem. This land doesn't belong to me in any truly meaningful sense. I've tried calling it "the land that I live on," and variations thereof, but the phrasing is cumbersome and feels detached. So I'm going back to calling this "my land," in the relationship-indicating sense that I would say "my sister" or "my friend," and not in the ownership sense that I would say "my sock."

Only two more weekends of the Wildwood Path remain, and I'm working on my final project. It's not like I need to write out a thesis statement, but I do need to be able to talk about the project, and figuring out this language is kind of fundamental to setting the tone. So "my land" it is, for now, although I'd love to find some authentic-feeling language that doesn't require asterisks.

I've defined this project as: to identify and learn about the plants on my land that can be used for basketry; to weave them into baskets; and to reflect on the experience as broadly as feels natural.

Basket 1: Red Osier, Lilac, Virginia Creeper, Basswood, Wool
Basket 2: Wild Grape, Red Osier Dogwood
Basket 3: Eastern White Pine
Basket 4: Blackberry Cane, Red Osier Dogwood, Wild Grape, Hazel, Lilac
Basket 5: Brown Ash (part 1)
Basket 5: Brown Ash (part 2)
Basket 5: Brown Ash (part 3)
Basket 5: Brown Ash (part 4)
Basket 6: Brown Ash (tiny pack basket)

Update 5/29/17 - This project is "done" in the sense that I won't (don't have time to) weave any more baskets before our final Wildwood Path weekend a few days from now. But I'm not finished—I feel like I've barely started. I spent this morning walking around the woods with Grandfather Ray as he pried up pieces of bark from various species of trees, commenting on their suitability for baskets and other uses. I came home loaded down with coils of fresh Virginia creeper, scrolls of gorgeous birch bark, and plans to meet up this summer to dig roots, meet a 94-year-old ash basket weaver, and process a basswood tree for fiber. I've bought and been given willow cuttings that I've planted out this spring, I've pruned the red osier patches to stimulate new, straight growth. When I walk in the woods I see familiar friends, species and individuals, and I'm looking forward to growing with them in the years to come.