Working with Meadow Lab, Feral Malmö has been continuing with walks around the city. Most recently in Pildammsparken we have been following paths through the carefully arranged beeches and exploring the concept of Bioregionalism, as described by Peter Berg and Raymond Dasmann. The bioregion being an “area defined by natural characteristics, including watersheds, landforms, soils, geological qualities, native plants and animals, climate, and weather.” Their borders are “soft and wide” in contrast to “linear and sharp” geopolitical borders. And critically, these bioregions are not areas of untouched wilderness, but in fact are filled with people—ecology enmeshed with society and culture.
Bioregionalism can help us find other species and spaces but infrastructure in the city provides challenging barriers to our ability to “reinhabit” our bioregion. Coupling the idea with Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing’s “art of noticing” and “polyphonic assemblages,” Feral Malmö is trying to apply a sort of feral bioregionalism that may help us tune into the urban polyphony. Taking special notice of the species that have found their way around the hostilities of urban infrastructure. Letting these other species take the lead in our walks, we are developing practices that may enable us to be feral. We will announce more workshops and walks soon, and will be participating in this year’s Southern Sweden Design Days.