Trajna invites the general public to join them on a tour of the degraded areas of Prague to explore ethno-botanical realms, as well as the recent histories of invasive plant species that thrive in the damaged landscapes. We will speak about the motivations of travelers of the past centuries for bringing various plant species to their homeland, and the ways in which they have been distributed across the continent. Many exotic plants, once promoted and sold for their useful properties or appeal, are now considered invasive species and treated as pests. By walking and collecting the things that interest us along the way, we will learn about the urban wastelands that now create vibrant ecosystems for a variety of introduced species. 

At the end of the journey participants will be invited to make use of found objects from the areas visited and press them into the fibers of invasive plants using the hand papermaking tools and techniques. While learning the basic skills of papermaking, we will discuss the ways that our trading practices enable the spread of invasive species and thus put people and nature under pressure to find ever shifting strategies for mere survival. Do we treat the unwanted weeds and landscapes where they thrive any differently, if we devise ways for humans and other earthlings to benefit from them in the future?

• All are welcome
• Number of participants: up to 15 (please sign in michal.kindernay[at]agosto-foundation.org)
• Language: English
• Meeting point: Meetfactory (Ke Sklárně 3213/15, Praha 5-Smíchov, by the entrance) at 2:00 PM

Gaja Mežnarić Osole and Andrej Koruza are artists in residence at the Agosto Foundation, where they work to develop a didactic and creative tool for introducing historical narratives about invasive species in a playful and engaging way. Their work, presented in the form of a herbarium, will function as a half-finished graphic story (a non-finito) as well a fieldwork tool.

More about the artists.

Jiří Sádlo, RNDr., CSc., is a biologist and poet. At the Department of Geobotany of the Botanical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, he studied geobotany, phytocenology (plant sociology), vegatation mapping, and the historical development of the landscape and vegetation. He lectures at Charles University and the University of South Bohemia. He is the co-author of the books Biology of the Landscape, Landscape and Revolution, and The Landscape!.

RNDr. Kateřina Štajerová is a botanist of the Department of Geobotany of the Botanical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Department of Ecology at Charles University. Her focus is mainly on invasive plants, the succesion of vegetation, the ecology of communtities and synanthropic vegetation. She is co-author of several popular educational texts intended mainly for secondary schools. In her free time she assists in the protection of nature of the eastern Czech Republic.

This event is organized in collaboration with the Club Ferenc Futurista.
The Agosto Foundation artist in residence program is supported by the Czech Ministry of Culture.