Spotlight on Stewardship: Akiko Busch Forum

Akiko Busch is well known for her career of writing about design culture and nature for a variety of publications. Her most recent book, The Incidental Steward, is a collection of essays about citizen science and stewardship.  While Millbrook has a long history of engaging in both practices, students in many classes focused specifically on Akiko’s newest publication in preparation for her visit.

 

Akiko stressed that environmental stewardship does not need to be forced and follow a strict path, so long as you remain open-minded and observant, the experiential opportunities will present themselves to you. She then shared how this had happened to her while on a morning swim across the Hudson River. Although the swim was personally and recreationally motivated, she couldn’t help but notice the flavors, scents, and textures that are unique to the Hudson River.

 

One thing led to another and she began swimming across other American rivers, ultimately becoming aware of the rivers’ roles as agents of change in their local communities. She showed how something as simple as an afternoon swim had led to her exploring other rivers and riverside communities, eventually leading her to write her book Nine Ways to Cross a River: Midstream Reflections on Swimming and Getting There from Here.

 

Akiko shared many more personal stories and reflections that highlighted the importance of curiousity and approaching science in a participatory manner on a daily basis. While it’s important to research and learn foundational science in a traditional way, it is everyday experiential learning that is truly powerful.  This idea is even more important in the present day as ever-present screen-driven technology continues to proliferate. Akiko urges us to unplug and dive into the river for ourselves.

 

To watch a video of Akiko’s full presentation visit our Millbrook in Motion page.