Native garden an exploration of the link between nature and religion

Indonesian artist Arahmaiani started the “Memory of Nature” project in 2013 after studying with monks in the highlands of the Tibetan Plateau. The installation features a bed of flowers and plants native to each new location on its journey.

But this spring, the project took root on Northwestern’s Evanston campus, outside The Block Museum as part of the “Actions for the Earth” exhibition. The shape of the garden bed, a mandala, symbolizes the connections between humans, religion and nature.

Environmental policy and culture and anthropology professor Eli Suzukovich III (Little Shell Band of Chippewa-Cree/Krajina Serb) and his students collaborated with the student group Prairie Cats Ecological Restoration to choose and plant seven species of plants native to the Evanston area in the garden.

“​​A lot of restoration is about reestablishing the plants and establishing the structure of the ecosystem,” said Vlad Nevirkovets, president of Prairie Cats and a graduate student studying plant biology and conservation. “[It’s] one of the best ways to make a direct and tangible impact on the environment.” 

Suzukovich will lead “Memory of Nature: Talk and Landscape Walk” at 12:30 p.m. on June 15. The garden and “Actions for the Earth” are on view at The Block until July 7. At that point, the garden will then be replanted along the lakefront on campus.