I am studying how people interact with, and are influenced by, plants and foliage in their everyday lives in New York City, so that I can highlight the indispensable, dynamic relationship between the two.

Feedback from guests

• look into AR, not only VR, as a medium to build/ curate a virtual garden that can appear or disappear as you wish
• consider the extended question of carbon footprints – While talking about exotic species, we must also bear in mind that their import or export (transportation) has negative effects on the environment. Upon further research, I found articles that talk about how exotic plants release more carbon dioxide from the soil when compared to native species.
• The High Line has about 100 different species of plants – all curated- and maintained by the Friends of the High Line in partnership with NYC Parks and Recreation. As people are not stepping out or partaking in nature completely, Kyle suggested that it would be a good idea to collect data from the High Line about the various species they house and allow people to view these plants virtually using VR. This would be both, an educational and exploratory experience. Coevolution of plants and insects is important to the High Line ecosystem. I also found that currently plants and insects are open for adoption, starting from $25. People can pick which species they want to adopt and will also receive a certificate. This would be great to incorporate into my project – I can allow the adopters to view their plant anytime, anywhere – almost like a nanny cam for the plant.
• experiencing childhood – could be incorporated into my research inquiry – ideas of nostalgia and memory as childhood joy is unmediated
• combining IOT (internet of things) and urban farming
• Kyle reiterated not to forget to incorporate tech in my project.

References from guests:

• check out the Xbox 360 game Viva Piñata where the player tends to a neglected garden on an island
•  Potioneer, a VR garden simulator where users can tend to their virtual garden.
• Barbara mentioned the Ford Foundation Garden, 12-story atrium that houses 39 species of subtropical plants, a reflecting pool and a garden with plants one can touch and smell. She also brought up a different point of view:  that all nature in New York has been curated and designed by people, so it can be considered man-made. All parks and outdoors are hence artificial.

• Puerto Rican planted community gardens when they first arrived in the country. These were shacks and open spaces where they would play music and dance, by bringing a little bit of Puerto Rico with them to Manhattan. I found that these spaces are known as casita gardens which translates to “little house” in Spanish. New York Restoration Project , along with the Urban Air Foundation, rethought casitas as a modular piece and assembled a structure in 2014. This pathway explores:
  • • maintaining one’s own culture
    • idea of homesickness and coping with it
    • painted and decorated spaces
• Maya Lin’s Wavefield in Storm King Art Center

• read the book The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate by Peter Wohlleben

Feedback from peers:

• positive feedback for visuals, flow, extensive research/interesting, organisation of presentation
• need to choose an audience now
• research questions deemed a bit forced and not a direct connect
• human and plant connection might have been lost in some on-site observations

 

• how personal and community tensions overlap
• value of living plants vs dead plants
• others agree on:
  • post-covid need for plants
  • sun as shared source of energy
  • interested in the sensory – how plants affect our mood?
• what am I encouraging or criticising?

 

References / precedents from peers:

• Telegarden by Ken Goldberg – the first community-run garden online with a robot interface
• plant scanning and recognition apps for plant-owners
• plant delivery companies and how they lower the barrier to adopt more plants
• MIT project that allows spinach to communicate through e-mail using nitro-aromatics
• The psychology behind Animal Crossing – many wanted to cultivate different plants and flowers

 

Sparked a lot of questions: