One of my main goals for my study abroad experience was to engage with my local community in a fruitful and meaningful way. While I did end up pivoting the focus of my local engagement project, I am so grateful for the work I ended up doing and the community I was a part of […]
Author: jl131
Prairie patches and Policy
My final project for my class titled Citizen Science on Biodiversity and Climate Change was to create a citizen science project based on an environmental issue we have noticed in our own communities. My group created a project titled the Prairie Patch project centered around prairie revitalization in the midwest. Planning out this project not […]
Some Body Else
Today I am reminded of my favorite art exhibit here in Copenhagen. “After the Sun – Forecasts from the North” showcases a diverse group of artists with ties to the Nordic region considering their relationships to landscape in a time of climate crisis. One of my favorite pieces in the exhibit is titled Some Body […]
Utopia
When most people think of Denmark they imagine a kind of utopia, where everyone is housed, fed, happy, and children roam the streets without fear of crime. Even I found myself speaking about Denmark in a way that contributes to this romanticizing narrative as opposed to zooming out and looking at the bigger picture. While […]
Reflections before departure
Today I write to you from the apartment I share with five lovely girls who have become my closest friends here in Denmark. My sense of community has largely been shaped by the home we’ve built here together. In just four months we’ve managed to create a safe space to return to on our best […]
Roots
I’ve never felt physically rooted anywhere. I’ve moved several times throughout my life and having been raised by immigrant parents, our notion of “home” was always oceans away. My experience of un-rootedness makes me particularly interested in understanding the world underground. Plants are perpetually connected to one another. Even when a plant is ripped up […]
Winter in Copenhagen
In the midst of November three days before Thanksgiving, Copenhagen has descended into the depths of late fall, early winter. The sun sets around 3 pm now and the wind sends a chill straight to my bones. Living in Boston for the past two winters has helped me grow somewhat accustomed to this climate. I […]
Bees in the Courtyard
Just outside of my classroom is the courtyard of an old fire station where I take art classes for three hours every Friday. In this courtyard there is a bee sanctuary and just before class I sit here to watch them work. These small beings create worlds in front of me and I find their […]