Healing the Land

When The Guild acquired 918 Dill Ave., packaged with the deal was a portion of the then-empty lot at the northeast corner of Dill Ave. and Sylvan Rd. We knew we wanted to activate that parcel in some way, balancing the needs and desires for parking and safe community green space. Since we’ve held it, the lot has been the site for many of our community events and mutual aid activities.

Because of its former history as an industrial and later a dump site, along with its positioning within the water basin, the soil has absorbed and now carries a high amount of heavy metals. In iterating possibilities for the site, we’ve always kept this in mind.

This summer, we worked with community architect Nasir K.P. to codesign a strategy to nurture the land back into a healthy, thriving space.

Sunflowers are plants capable of phytoremediation — they draw heavy metals and toxins from soil into their stems and leaves. So we gathered and got our hands dirty to sow and see what happens to and with the soil at the site.

Would the seedlings blossom in the rocky soil and heat? Would there be a measurable difference in toxin levels? We broke ground on an experiment.