Children making wands out of the invasive weed phragmites. Photo by Annie Hess

At one of the very first Global Earth Exchanges, Annie Hess, program director of the now defunct World Healing Institute (WHI) on Virginia's Eastern Shore, focused on the problems and possibilities of phragmites, an invasive, reed-like plant that grows in dense mats in disturbed wetland areas. Landowners along the shore had tried to eradicate it by digging it out and then by dousing it with pesticides--all to no avail.

At the Global Earth Exchange a local "wildcrafter" guided the group in using the stalks of the weed as material for weaving a variety of baskets, bird houses, and other objects. Annie later wrote: "As we discussed the nature of phragmites, one woman commented that it was here to teach us about balance. Another shared the online research that explained the many ways Native Americans used phragmites. We all listened to the wind whistle through the stalks and marveled at the birds that have found ways to adapt to living in phragmites."

As if these glimpses into the secret delights of phragmites were not enough, a couple of weeks later, a group of children came to WHI for a workshop. Supplied with paint, glitter, and feathers, they turned phragmites stalks into magic wands. Or, as they called them: "phragic wands."

To learn more about the 2015Global Earth Exchange and making beauty out of a damaged or ugly place, see our website or contact us.