In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, Thinkery & Verse began a multi-year public art project with the intention of beautifying central Jersey and breaking the urban heat island around New Brunswick. To date, we have planted, transplanted or maintained over two hundred urban trees, one hundred woody vines, and thousands of native plants.
In 2023, we expanded the scope of our work by collaborating with George Street Playhouse's Director of Education, Nadiyah S. Dorsey. Under her direction, we implemented an arts-driven curriculum in Jersey City schools that focused on the challenges of climate change in urban environments. With our students, we explored Amanda Gorman's 'Earthrise,' Joyce Kilmer's 'Trees', William Carlos Williams' 'The Widow's Lament in Springtime,' Jim Jarmusch's 'Paterson,' Helen Zughaib's 'Planting Olive Trees', and Robert Lowell's 'For the Union Dead' and much more.
Going forward, we will do everything in our power to make our urban environments more habitable, sustainable, and beautiful.
In 2023, we expanded the scope of our work by collaborating with George Street Playhouse's Director of Education, Nadiyah S. Dorsey. Under her direction, we implemented an arts-driven curriculum in Jersey City schools that focused on the challenges of climate change in urban environments. With our students, we explored Amanda Gorman's 'Earthrise,' Joyce Kilmer's 'Trees', William Carlos Williams' 'The Widow's Lament in Springtime,' Jim Jarmusch's 'Paterson,' Helen Zughaib's 'Planting Olive Trees', and Robert Lowell's 'For the Union Dead' and much more.
Going forward, we will do everything in our power to make our urban environments more habitable, sustainable, and beautiful.
You can help!
1. Water the street trees closest to your dwelling.
2. Place a bag of mulch around nearby trees -- it only costs around $3 per bag.
3. Imagine where more trees could be planted in your urban environment. Lobby your local authorities to plant more trees in those locations.
2. Place a bag of mulch around nearby trees -- it only costs around $3 per bag.
3. Imagine where more trees could be planted in your urban environment. Lobby your local authorities to plant more trees in those locations.
One hundred thousand praises
As a part of Erik Ehn's ongoing collaborative project One hundred thousand praises, Thinkery & Verse will plant, nurture, or protect one thousand trees and lianas in the New York City metro area. We will provide updates on the project using our Instagram account under the heading "Trees." https://www.instagram.com/thinkery_and_verse/?hl=en . The ongoing climate crisis inspires our action, and we will also communicate with the public using a series of poetry recitations, including Joyce Kilmer's "Trees," Louriene Aber's "Trees," William Carlos Williams' "The Widows Lament in Springtime," Amanda Gorman's "Earthrise," J.M. Meyer's "Five Comes after Six" and Gerard Manley Hopkins' "Pied Beauty."