Living Soils Rising Embodying Earth’s Resilience in the Heart of Brooklyn
On Sunday, May 4, 2025, Moving Rasa had the profound honor of participating in Living Soils Rising—a participatory performance and ritual held under the expansive canopy of the 'K' Bridge in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The event brought together artists, activists, neighbors, ecologists, dancers, healers, and dreamers to seed the future of climate justice through creativity, ritual, and movement.
Hosted at Under the 'K' Bridge Park—adjacent to Newtown Creek, a Superfund site deeply impacted by the infamous Greenpoint oil spill—Living Soils Rising was co-organized by Marina "Heron" Tsaplina in collaboration with the Urban Soils Institute and the Sane Energy Project.
Fungi-Inspired Costumes: Crafting Connection Through Creation
In the lead-up to the event, Moving Rasa hosted a series of fungi costume-making gatherings, both virtual and in-person. Participants transformed recycled materials into playful, imaginative renditions of oyster mushrooms and other fungi. This creative process honored the regenerative, interconnected nature of fungi—symbols of decomposition, restoration, and transformation.
These gatherings were more than arts and crafts—they were a celebration of embodied creativity and ecological wisdom. Together, we wove the spirit of fungi into each stitch, paint stroke, and movement.
Embodied Soil: A Collective Movement Ritual
The performance began with a puppet-drag procession where community members—dressed as local fungi, plants, and animals—moved through the park, embodying the vibrant biodiversity of Northern Brooklyn. Our collective presence transformed the space into a living ecology.
During the closing ritual, Moving Rasa’s Andrew had the profound opportunity to perform improvisation with a small group as part of the Living Soil. He reflects:
“Orienting my body to sense into the 100+ people there as Living Soil—vibrating, breathing, and teeming with microbiomes and organisms transforming toxins and waste into life—I experienced a deep connection with the community. As my movements intertwined with others, we collectively embodied the resilience and regenerative capacity of the earth.”
Honoring the Sacredness of Water and Soil
Following the procession, local waterkeepers led a water ceremony where participants offered bee pollen and prayers to the river. This act honored both the sacredness of water and the environmental injustice that has long plagued Newtown Creek and surrounding communities.
The ceremony culminated in a collective meditation and earth-magic closing ritual. Facing each direction, we grounded ourselves in vision and intention—envisioning a livable energy future rooted in reciprocity and repair.
A Living Call to Action
Living Soils Rising was a manifestation of community resilience and a call to restore and protect the sacred balance between people and planet.
Together, we honored the land’s past and envisioned its flourhsing future. As people departed, the resonance of people’s movements and the unity of shared intentions lingered, reminding us that through embodied movement, collective creativity, and sustained action, we can cultivate a world rooted in healing, justice, regeneration and sustainability.
Let this be a reminder to keep engaging. To contact your representatives. To fight for environmental justice. And to come together—in movement, in ritual, and in community.
For more information and to attend future events visit Living Soils Rising
With gratitude to Urban Soils Institute, Sane Energy Project, and all who made this gathering possible.