Welcome to FRTL! This past fall we began a new project to celebrate and tell the story of the life cycle and community connections of the incredible Common Milkweed (Asclepias Syriaca) plant. Did you know that Common Milkweed has a community of over 250 other organisms? Impressive, right?! We won't be featuring all of them on our wall, but we will include many key players in Milkweed's life story.
Our mural will tell the story of Milkweed's life cycle as we move through the seasons from seed to compost- Spring/seed on the left and Winter/compost on the right, as well as the stories of so many members of Milkweed's community above and below the surface of the soil.
Last year, project manager/muralist Shauna Yorty and other DECA team members met with neighbors and community members to explore those relationships that thrive below the ground. We learned about what goes on in the life of the brown garden snail, earthworms, bumblebees, ants, and more. We explored the relationships and community connections they all shared and compared and contrasted those to our own underground community connections. We spoke of systems and assets, laughed about worm mating habits, and collectively designed the underground portion of the mural .
Later, we collaborated with community partners Lancaster Community Foundation, South Central Paartners, Joel's Painting, Sherwin Williams, and the City of Lancaster, artists Jandi Goshert, Keisha Finnie, and Wendy Li, as well as over 30 neighbors to paint the lower portion of the wall. It was a gorgeous fall day filled with joy and laughs, new friends, and old, with pizza and pasta from Rosa Rosa Pizzeria.
This Spring we will meet again to explore even more connections that thrive in the ecosystem created by and for Milkweed and to design the upper/above ground portion of the mural together.
Please stay tuned here and follow DECA and SLYORTY on social media for updates on upcoming events and opportunities to join us in witnessing and experiencing the unfolding of this powerful story of connection.
