OtterWise
A workshop at Zone2Source exploring animal wisdom and guidance
The floating artist garden Theun Karelse built in Amstelpark called Otterdam was inspired by the return of the otter to Amsterdam after 50 years of absence. It’s aim is not to be a space designed for otters. In other words it doesn’t start from a classic ecological conservation standpoint where the otter is a ‘target species’, that we humans as more powerful and more intelligent beings can shape a suitable world for. Otterdam is more based on a relational idea, it celebrates the return of the otter as an iconic wetland animal during a period of unprecedented drought in Europe. The otter as a messenger, carrying wisdom that may be valuable also to humans.
Animal wisdom
We meet at Zone2Source’s Rietveldhuis in Amstelpark on a cold winter Saturday morning. After a general getting-to-know-each-other, I start the workshop by introducing some of my work also beyond Otterdam. Including a small underwater device (see image above) that can play the sound of whale’s voices. Especially the Harbour Porpoise (Bruinvis), which is the most numerous whale in our waters. We each try the device, by holding it against our foreheads; porpoises make their vocalizations with an organ in their foreheads we don’t have, weirdly called the melon.
I used this device in the Westerschelde to feel what that voice feels like under water. It was a stunning experience. Underwater hearing and feeling (tactile) is much closer related than above water. It made a deep impact on me to feel just how overwhelming the experience of human noise must be to these whales. It is so physical under water.
Totemic garden design
Otterdam is a structure, a floating garden with rare and indigenous waterplants, but more importantly it is a practice. Somehow the Dutch with our rich history in dealing with water, have no real history in wetland or floating gardens, unlike south American, Asian and other cultures worldwide. By watergardening we enter the realm of the otter, and might learn something from the experience. Fundamentally the aim of Otterdam is not to change the landscape, but to change ourselves. The animal as a guide to more pluriversal ways of being.
I’ve brought a deck of cards and we each pick one. Bear, Spider, Skunk, Dragonfly, Mouse and Owl. (The deck of cards is Turtle Island oriented, with a book that shares indigenous perspectives of the medicine these animals embody). We talk about these animals, their wisdom and their appearance in dreams. The workshop question is: what kind of garden does your animal inspire in you? We each take a small card and sketch/write for about 20min.
The results are simply stunning.
Bear garden.
This Chilean student has picked the bear card. In Chilean culture bear is associated with many qualities. This bear garden is seasonal. A summer and winter garden that fits the bears rhythms. In summer many plants grow that are part of bear diets. In winter there is a central area in the garden, a burrow, for the bear (us) to retreat into; “to go to the darkness, to the parts of yourself you don’t see often.” This can be scary, so this garden is a protective space, with herbs inside the burrow, including the Chilean Boldo herb, which is used when rage is making you sick, to let go of rage.
Spider garden
Spirals are central to this garden, spirals interconnecting everything, like the spirals seen in permaculture. The spider is seen as a being that gathers, and also gathers stories. A main strength of the spider is its way of persistence, if the web is broken, it rebuilds it. Fail and try again. Its web enables it to collect. Catching things, allowing them to fall like dewdrops onto the soil is an important cycle in this garden. The spider garden is a deeply interconnected and cyclical garden.
Skunk garden
This student is from the US and has seen skunks often. They are curious, inquisitive creatures always rooting for things. Fall must be such a gratifying season for skunks, with all the leaves to rummage through, searching for small treasures. The Skunk garden aims to be a space where humans and skunks can cohabit, with skunk and person hiding places. Creating the opportunity for distance between them when needed. This is a garden where humans and skunks can be comfortable with each other.
Dragonfly garden
This garden is inspired broadly by dragonfly qualities. Perhaps more dragonfly energy and like its glistening rainbow wings, evoking worlds beyond. Seeing everything as an illusion, how do you build something within that? This may need a stony, rocky environment that cools and from which new realities can spark.
Mouse garden
Mice are so alert to the world. This Chilean student feels really akin to them and describes a garden populated with bamboo like plants native to Chile. Plants that are the first to grow after fires have come. They create moist climates that help forests to regrow. Many mice are there. The mouse garden is a restoration garden. The mice eat the fruits, spreading the seeds of native plants.
Owl garden
The owl is active at night. This night garden is populated with trees but relatively open, for the owl to fly through. It has lots of dense groundcover for its prey to thrive in. Climbers include night-fragrant species like Kamperfoeli that attract night-butterflies. This is a garden to be seen in the light of the moon. With subtle greys, oranges and purples. The garden reminds us that many forms of life are nocturnal, the species humans may be less aware of. It is a garden linked with the moon and with dreaming.
I wasn’t sure this drawing exercise would work, but it was soo amazing to see the poetic ideas that came out. Really stretching beyond our human focus and resulting in gardens with wonderful thematic depth. This was one of my favourite workshops I’ve hosted. Thank you to all participants for an inspiring get-together.
Written by Theun Karelse (facilitator of workshop)
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