A Dream on Wings
Visit from an Owl and how Multi-species Design Saves Lives
“The future enters into us, in order to transform itself in us, long before it happens.”
— R. M. Rilke
Tempelhofer Feld, Berlin.
The sun sets beside the former airport building. Oranges and pinks paint the bellies of foamy clouds while the jackdaws introduce the onset of twilight. We are surrounded by chirping skylarks, seeking shelter for the night between tall grasses. The air turns humid and the world quiet. All of a sudden, an owl appears out of the darkening blues and drifts over the meadow and above our heads, its vision focused and wings silent, the pure embodiment of grace itself.
I have seen you. Have you seen me? Have you felt my presence when I flowed quietly over you? Twilight is when you make your way home and I linger, hunt, and listen. I hear the subtlest of sounds—the softest rustle of a hidden mouse, the distant hoots of fellow owls, or the rumble of traffic that reverberates like thunder.
You call me a silent shadow amidst the city's glowing tapestry. My sharp eye pierces through darkness or what is left of it. The city lights illuminate your path but bewilder my senses. At night, don’t be misguided by the reverberations of your own fears, fractured into shimmers, cracks, and sudden moves of those you call Other. Do you know true darkness?
Yellow eyes wide open, awake.
I know that within your innermost being, there is part of myself within you — the essence that knows wildness, that wants to preserve the green aisles between concrete towers and the vast forests that rouse your sensuous self. When you’re lost, seek my guidance. Your instinct and experience are your fermenting wisdom in times of estrangement. Organize for uncertainty, listen before you act.
Workshop news
This Saturday, we will immerse ourselves in the experiences of fellow species and imagine futures through their eyes. How can this type of multi-species empathy inform our design practices? Through imagination, we unlock design, and through design, we unlock new futures.
Join us for a Worldbuilding Regenerative Futures: Multi-Species Imagination workshop, online on July 29. Click the image for more info and registration.
Inspiration
A curation of meaningful art and content that inspired us.
Billions of bird deaths due to the "simple indifference" of architects says PETA
1 billion birds die from flying into glass windows in the US alone. Design and architecture with a multi-species lens save lives.
Everyone wants big glass windows and lots of light. While understandable, we often forget about the impact of our design and construction choices on fellow species, like birds. A study reveals that in the US alone, about 1 billion birds die each year. The solutions, however, are simple.
"We recommend replacing plain glass with acid-etched, fritted, or frosted glass; ultraviolet patterned glass; or channel glass to help protect birds," says Jared Goodman of animal rights organization PETA.
"More and more structures now incorporate bird-friendly glass, demonstrating how awareness, planning, and a commitment to the environment can prevent countless deaths."
Watch & Listen. Ludovico Einaudi x WaterBear — Broken Wings
"Nearly half of the world's wild bird species are in decline, and one in eight are at risk of extinction. Let's stop the trafficking of wild birds. Let's leave them free, let's do not put them in a cage."
In this unique collaboration, lyrical music by Einaudi is coupled with heartbreaking footage of wild birds being captured and transported to faraway cities, serving as elitist tokens and mere decorative pieces. There is a lot to say about this provocative artwork, but we can’t help to think about the way we humans treat ourselves and each other along similar patterns. We trade the wild animacy within for the comfort and convenience of the city, the expansiveness of nature for high-rise buildings and cubicled existence. In which ways are we holding ourselves in captivity the way we do with birds? What would happen if our places and systems would enable our spirits to fly free? To quote Maya Angelou, “No one of us is free until everybody is free.”
Freedom and justice cannot exist for us humans until we grant it to all species.
Have you ever had a unique encounter with a bird that changed you? Let us know in the comments! If you enjoyed reading this newsletter, sign up and share it with a friend or colleague!
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