The 200th (!!!) recipient is Ariella Riapos of @plantmami_ari in Bushwick Brooklyn, NY.
Ari writes, “I am a guerrilla gardener and educator and my journey as a land steward has been lifelong. I can't remember a time where I did not feel a kinship to the Earth and her creations. In recent years, I've been getting training and learning more about the technical aspects of "farming" while grounding my stewardship in a reciprocal and relational mindset. Growing food for my community and friends has been my greatest source of pride these last few years and watching how quickly life returns to even the worst of city soil with just a little bit of love and care has given me so much hope for a better world.
Self care for me can often look like grounding myself in community and holding space for the entire range of emotions that come with living through a climate crisis and late stage capitalism; from hope for what we could build, to grief for all that we've lost, to fear of what we could lose. It's very easy and valid to feel despair and hopelessness in these times, but the only way out is by building robust community systems that keep us safe when larger systems and institutions do not."
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