Today, Blue Lab staged the inaugural installation of its Popup Story Patch at Morris Arboretum & Gardens in Philadelphia, PA. Emphasizing imagination, memory, speculation and active engagement, the Popup Story Patch invited visitors to participate in conversations, experiences and creative projects that might reframe how they think about and engage with the more-than-human world.

"We had about 250 people come through the Story Patch today, and we were absolutely thrilled with the turnout and how all the pieces came together," said Barron Bixler, co-founder and Creative Director of Blue Lab. "With four 'engagement stations,' we set out to create an experience that would be playful, provocative and meaningful. We had people ranging from very young children to elders spend time with us, and they all seemed to find something they were excited to make or share. It was so much fun, and often poignant and moving."

The Popup Story Patch was funded by an award from the Penn Program in Environmental Humanities (PPEH) under its multi-year project, Ecotopian Toolkit. The theme of this year's toolmaking has been "Ecotopian Tools for Multispecies Flourishing."

"We're grateful to PPEH and the Morris Arboretum for this opportunity to develop Blue Lab's inaugural public art and engagement project," said Professor Allison Carruth, co-founder and PI of Blue Lab and Professor and Director of Princeton's Program in Environmental Studies. "It's been wonderful to have not just the seed funding to incubate the Popup Story Patch, but also a venue in which to bring it to life alongside a lively community of collaborators in the environmental humanities and public arts."

Sign for the Blue Lab Popup Story Patch at Morris Arboretum

"Engagement Stations"

The Popup Story Patch comprised four "engagement stations" that asked visitors to consider some of the animals, plants and places that have captivated their imaginations.

Blue Lab member Jayme Collins

Station 1: Dear wild ones

Created by Jayme Collins

"Dear wild ones" invited visitors to select a one-of-a-kind, hand-monoprinted card with a text prompt on it, then respond to the prompt by writing, drawing or stickering. If they wanted to contribute their work to Blue Lab's public archive, they dropped their finished postcard into a basket. Or they could take their card with them as a memento of the Popup Story Patch. The cards were made by Blue Lab members and student interns.

Ed Yong's book An Immense World

Station 2: Multispecies mindfulness

Created by Nate Otjen

Inspired by the mode of the fireside chat, "Multispecies mindfulness" invited visitors to join a guided conversation about the animals and plants in their lives. Groups sat and listened to part of award-winning science journalist Ed Yong’s acclaimed book An Immense World and talked about some of the relationships with other species that matter the most to them.

Asela Perez-Ortiz and Barron Bixler

Station 3: Record your story

Created by Barron Bixler, Allison Carruth & Asela Perez-Ortiz

"Record your story" invited visitors to make a video recording of a personal story about a beloved animal or ecosystem, or a strange or memorable animal encounter. The video stories will be incorporated into a short film inspired by the Popup Story Patch and themes embedded in the concept "multispecies flourishing."

Blue Lab director Allison Carruth sets up the "Tune in to the forest" station.

Station 4: Tune in to the forest

Created by Barron Bixler & Allison Carruth

Nestled within Morris Arboretum's fairy garden, "Tune in to the forest" invited visitors to put on headphones connected to powerful microphones pointed into the forest canopy and simply listen to the complex, interwoven soundscape of urban nature.

"We envision bringing the Popup Story Patch to communities around New Jersey and beyond. And the support provided through the Ecotopian Toolkit will allows us to prototype this novel mode of participatory storytelling alongside other artists and art groups," Carruth added.

For updates and information, refer to our page dedicated to the Blue Lab Popup Story Patch.

Photos were contributed by Blue Lab members and interns Farah Arnaout, Jessica Ng, Jose Santacruz and Mario Soriano.