What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
An untapped abundance
Exotic vegetation often overwhelms the urban landscape, out-competing native plants and degrading biological diversity. But despite the best efforts of land managers and their chemicals, the plants are here to stay.
Volunteers can manually arrest some of the more aggressive weeds. Such stewards must revisit sites on a regular basis to ensure that young tree saplings aren't overwhelmed by opportunistic vines.
Sometimes those who pull weeds fall into the psychological trap of becoming an enemy of the plants. They cultivate a "weed warrior" mentality that can generate an unhealthy and unnecessary hostility.
An alternative approach exists, one that regards our fellow super-successful colonists as a profuse material resource, the over-harvest of which helps restore ecological balance.
Our focus is on making art entirely from the fibers, pigments, fuels and chemicals extracted from locally harvested exotic invasive vegetation. Ideally, the practice -- or some form of it -- would generate an economic engine that could help power the restoration of local parks and other wild urban areas.
PRESS:
Spotlight: Patterson Clark, by Carrie Madren, Washingtonian.
The Art of War on Invasive Species, by Linton Weeks, NPR. Photos by John Poole.
Alien Harvest, by Drew Himmelstein for American Craft magazine.
Using Invasive Plant Fibers Responsibly (pdf), by Julie Johnson for Hand Papermaking magazine.
DEMONSTRATION:
Textile Museum: From Shoot to Sheet; a hands-on display of invasive white mulberry papermaking, June 4 and 5th.
