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Traditionally, summer is the quintessential time outdoors: a time for wading into rivers and lakes, napping on beach towels or in hammocks, playing in parks, gathering for block parties. But with global temperatures on the rise and increasingly frequent smoke days, for many, summer is starting to mean more time indoors, sheltered from the “elements” and each other. In a recent piece in The Atlantic, Yasmin Tayag observes, “summers in America are coming down to a choice between enduring the heat and avoiding it—both of which might, in their own ways, be making people sick.”
Isolation is, in many ways, both a symptom and a cause of the toxic conditions we are facing. Toxic policies and rhetoric are tearing at the social fabric of our communities, while the ecological and economic crises they create make it more difficult for us to connect.
The present polycrisis calls on us to show up for one another more than ever. Rooting into solidarity, mutual aid, collective action, and small, everyday acts of kindness are what will carry us through this moment and the challenges to come.
With the dog days of summer officially behind us, we in the northern hemisphere are making our descent towards slightly cooler nights, shorter days, and longer serenades by the cricket choir. We invite you to take this time to venture out, connect, and ground in community. Connecting with our neighbors (human and non-human) is an essential antidote to systems of oppression that rely on separation.
From collective reimagining of underutilized spaces to invitations to connect to the natural world through wonder, care, and design, our community calendar is filled with opportunities to forge deeper relationships.
We especially hope you join us at our opening social, where we will kick off a year of thinking through Antidotes to Toxicity. |
