European Outdoor Film Tour 2010: Testosterone in the wilderness

The European Outdoor Film Tour just came through Berlin and I was really excited about it until I saw the program. It's just a bunch of guys trying to prove their manliness by taming the ultimate beast: Mother Nature. That's not what the outdoors are about to me and leaves the most sour taste in my mouth. Where are the adventurers who seek to commune with nature, to better understand the world outside?

Note to EOFT programmers and outdoor documentarians: There are many, many people who enjoy the outdoors in non-destructive ways. Long-distance hikers like me embrace "Leave No Trace" principles that aim to protect the natural beauty of the wilderness. More important is the unofficial hiker motto "Hike Your Own Hike" (which I suppose I'm breaking now) that basically means everyone has the right to enjoy the journey in her own way. At any rate, I think someone who hikes six months across the U.S. is more of a bad-ass than a dude jumping off cliffs on a dirt bike for a few hours on a Sunday.

It's fine to show hot rods and daredevils try stupid stunts in the desert and call that "outdoor film." But it'd be nice if you'd capture a little more of the full spectrum of people who venture outdoors. And it'd be nice to see the real main character--nature--feature into your programming as well.

My secret garden

Last month I bought an apartment in my favorite part of Berlin, just around the corner from Urbanhafen. One of the best features is the private backyard. I see it as a way to put my ideas about sustainability into action, so of course I want it to become a thriving organic vegetable garden. The only problem: as it's between a bunch of tall buildings, the garden gets very little sun. What to do?

My plan is to find out what will thrive in the moist, shady environment I've been given and stick to that. To that end, I met with a Pflanzendoktor yesterday to get tips on what to plant. She told me to stick to local varieties and shade-friendly sorts. I'm thinking mushrooms, blackberries, and maybe some tomatoes.

10:10:10 Global Work Party in Prinzessinnengärten

The last time I wrote, it was about the Prinzessinnengärten in Kreuzberg. Well, on Sunday I organized a work party with some fellow FFU PhD students in conjunction with 350.org's international 10:10:10 event.

It was a smashing success! We had nearly 40 volunteers who harvested two varieties of potatoes to be used and sold in the garden's café. I got lots of nice feedback from participants and was glad to finally see the sun as well.

What touched me the most was a young boy who had come for another event across the street. He helped me record how much the potatoes harvested from each sack weighed (remember, this is a mobile garden!). When I asked him if he knew about climate change, he told me he'd watched a documentary that said humans were polluting the air and that the world would suffer greatly in the coming century. The movie upset him so much that he couldn't sleep for two days. So I told him that we were throwing this party to help heal the planet and make sure that his nightmare didn't come true. He was helping to save the planet! I think knowing this motivated him and definitely put a smile on his face.