In times of grief, many people find that a connection to land, earth, and the tending of life can help carry us through. It is well established that a connection to nature, no matter how small, helps improve our experiences of depression, anxiety, and sense of wellbeing.
Pulling from their their personal experiences, Eli will lead participants in a discussion about;
the history of Grief Gardening through various cultural perspectives
gardening as a tool for emotional processing and providing a sense of control and purpose
creating sites for remembrance
tending to a relationship with nature to encourage a sense of hope and renewal
He will also support participants with ideas about how to get started or expand on our grief gardens.
Eli (they/he) is a gardener and former landscaper, wetlands restorationist and wildlife biologist currently living on Ohlone land in Oakland. Mutual aid, covid realism, disability justice, queerness and art as well as gardening all help them with the little and big sources of grief that life brings us.