Guardians of the Soil
A ritualistic performance piece dedicated to saving our soils. Four Soil Guardians mourn over the loss of the tons of topsoil we lose each year due to intensive agriculture, encouraging us humans to practice regenerative methods in symbiosis with the environment.
Masks & Costume:
Holland Otik
Videographer:
Colin Nicholla
The Mycelium/ Mycorrhizal Mushroom Guardian:
There are more species of fungi, bacteria and Protozoa in single scoop of soil than there are species of plants and vertebrate animals in all of North America. And of these, fungi are the grand recyclers of our planet; the mycomagicians disassembling large organic molecules into simpler forms, which in turn nourish other members of the ecological community. Fungi are the interface organisms between life and death. This fine web of cells courses through virtually all habitats unlocking nutrient sources stored in plants and other organisms, building soils. The activities of mycelium help heal and steer ecosystems on their evolutionary path, cycling nutrients through the food chain. Fungi are keystone species that create ever-thickening layers of soil, which allow future plant and animal generations to flourish. Without fungi, all ecosystems would fail.
Mushroom spawn let us recycle garden waste, wood and yard debris, thereby creating mycological membranes that heal habitats suffering from poor nutrition, stress and toxic waste. In the sense, mushrooms emerge as environmental guardians in a time critical to our mutual evolutionary survival.
Mycorrhizal (myco-mushroom/ rhizal- related to roots) is a symbiotic exchange between the fungi and a plant host, basically plants and fungi are holding hands (roots) underground... both plants and fungi benefit from the association, the mycelium dramatically increases the plants ingestion of nutrients, nitrogenous compounds and essential elements as it decomposes surrounding debris. Fungi benefit from the relationship because it gives them access to plant-secreted sugars. They can even transport nutrients to trees of different species, helping the system, encouraging the system. Plants without this exchange or more likely to die of disease then those with.
The Mycelium/ Mycorrhizal mushroom guardian is the communicator, the giver, the exchange, the connection
The Mulch Guardian:
Mulch pretty much means ground cover. When you go for a walk in the forest, it’s very rare to find exposed soil; it’s usually constantly covered in a thick layer of debris from the plants in the woodland. These decompose (thanks to our mushroom guardian) and create a rich layer of fertile humus (an organic component of soil), which then goes on to feed everything in that forest. The cycle completes itself without human interaction.
As soon as you start tilling the soil, you are destroying millions of microbes and insects that have worked so incredibly hard to keep the balance of healthy soils (healthy soils = healthy food = healthy humans). It also removes any plant matter that’s covering the soil, leaving it bare. Bare soil, especially that which is deficient in rich organic matter, is more likely to be eroded by wind and water. Think of it this way: undisturbed soil resembles a sponge, held together by an intricate structure of different soil particles and channels created by roots and soil organisms; hence, more flooding occurs as there is nothing in the soil to absorb.
So mulching helps retain moisture, improves the soil's organic matter, provides nutrients, which means healthier crops, and helps keep the soil warm.
Also, tilling releases CO2, whereas no-till farming, coupled with cover crops (living mulches), keeps the carbon cycle in balance.
So the mulch guardian is the protector of the land, keeping carbon levels low, hugging the soil, and keeping her well-fed and watered.
The Seed Spreader Guardian:
She represents the gift of life.
I feel like that’s all I need to say about this guardian. It’s almost ingrained in humans to respect seeds, to hold that knowledge close to our hearts as we all hold them within ourselves. The comfort of watching a seed grow, nourishing it, and becoming good friends with it is something I’ll always cherish. Human civilizations learned how to cultivate plants in the art of seed saving. I'm saddened that the majority of the world has lost its respect for the seed, but I believe there are enough of us for the plants to forgive our race for the selfishness and greed.
So yeah! The seed spreader guardian represents life, birth, the beginning, nourishment, and trust.
The Flora & Fauna Guardian:
How every single animal plays its part within the ecosystem, from the bees to the beavers, every single living thing is incredibly important.
Throughout history, we have witnessed us humans make the mistake of introducing new species or removing them completely from an environment, and it having catastrophic effects on the ecosystem around it.
Some seeds rely on animals to carry them to new areas (hitchhiking a ride or being eaten and pooped out). Well-decomposed herbivore poop also offers fertility to the soils!
If the animals we were using for meat were allowed to roam free or in a regenerative practice, the soils would become more fertile. Our grasslands wouldn’t become overgrazed, encouraging a mad amount of carbon sequestration from wild plants that would naturally grow there, not to mention the amount of deforestation that happens to make room for industrial meat production.
The fauna guardian represents death, regeneration, awareness, and change.
IN SOIL WE TRUST