Getting to Know You
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Climbing and Descending
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Bittersweet Union
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Video by Jadyn Ward
In a Harvard University article called Untangling the Twisted Tail of Bittersweet Peter Del Tredici states that things go awry in our world “not from bad intentions but from ignorance.” He goes on to state that “without thinking much about it” we have globalized our economy. Here is the conclusion of the article:
The rise of Oriental bittersweet and the concurrent demise of its American cousin is a story that goes to the dark heart of the human relationship with nature—things “go oft awry” not from bad intentions but from ignorance. Without thinking much about it, we have globalized our environment in much the same way we have globalized our economy. Certainly the Arnold Arboretum has learned from its past mistakes and is now much more careful about promoting plants that have the potential to become invasive species. But the fact is that climate change—acting in concert with urbanization and globalization—has made the world much more complicated and less predictable than it was back in the days... Across the planet, cosmopolitan ecosystems are displacing native vegetation at an alarming rate but at the same time many of these non-native species are growing vigorously on highly disturbed or badly contaminated land. It’s a bittersweet conundrum that the plants that grow best under such conditions are seldom the ones we want.
Can it be reasonably argued that the globalization of the economy was done without thought?
The author points out that many of these non-native species are growing vigorously on highly disturbed or badly contaminated land. And why is the land “highly disturbed” or “badly contaminated” in the first place? Is it not the global economy that carries out such acts of disturbance and contamination of the land?
In places where humans live in closer relationship with their surroundings, the landscape is more actively managed not only for the purpose of survival but for the survival of purpose. Many land-based cultures know this, and continue to work everyday with intention and action to keep their sense of purpose and connection to the land alive.
Bittersweet is a very strong vine that can be used to make baskets. A group of us recently made a giant Persephone puppet using Bittersweet Vine for the spine, ribcage and head. We attached the ribs to the spine using bittersweet. We also used Wild Grape, a longtime native of North America, Boxwood for the hair and Bamboo poles for support. We attached her to the roof of a van and drove her through West Asheville to a multimedia fundraising event for local activists. In the Greek tale Persephone rises from the Underworld with the arrival of Spring.
