Riparian planting is a practice of restoring the ecology of the riparian zone — spaces alongside waterways such as rivers — through the planting of often native plant species. These plants are important as they help with preventing soil erosion through the strengthening of banks, and ensure the waterways are kept clean by filtering ground runoff and pollutants through their root systems.

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I am exploring ideas surrounding restoration ecology and art and how the two disciplines interact in both a direct and indirect way. The idea that art can both create tangible change, yet also promote it in a socially engaged way, is something I am trying to emulate and explore through this work. Through the propagation of native riparian seeds to be gifted and planted, and a planned site specific planting intervention, I am interested in engaging with the environment in a more direct way, with the documentation of these processes playing an important role.

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I am inspired by ideas posed in the works of eco-artists such as Mel Chin and Basia Irland. Their works, such as Chin’s Revival Field and Irland’s Ice Books, employ practical restoration efforts that directly benefit the environment, yet also function within an artistic context.