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Lament: The Outer Harbor Land of Cottonwoods
April 11, 2022 @ 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm EDT
Lament: a passionate expression of grief or sorrow
On October 18, 2021, over 100 people gathered at the Outer Harbor to give thanks to the land, the trees, the flowers and grasses that were home to birds, deer and small mammals and to ask for the protection of this small woodland. On December 22, 2021, the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation bulldozed the site, removing all vegetation and the organic soil to make way for an amphitheater. Our prayers, songs and arguments were not heard.
Today we gather to LAMENT the loss of a diverse regenerative landscape. The trees we lost had taken over 70 years to grow from bare soil, and to bare soil the place has returned. Yet we come again to give thanks for the gifts we had received, for the shelter and food provided. Now, to the wounded and devastated site we say, “we loved you” even if it was not enough (Susanne Moses).
We offer prayers for the Outer Harbor, for its regeneration as a biological diverse habitat. We pray it will again serve as home to the waterfront coastal community of beings with whom we share the place.