Reconnect with the Land
Touching grass is not a joke — it is a political and spiritual act. In a world designed to keep us indoors, online, and alienated from the living world, going outside with intention is an act of resistance and healing.
Environmental Justice as Personal Practice
The San Gabriel Valley is one of the most environmentally burdened regions in California. Superfund sites, industrial pollution, and decades of environmental racism have shaped the land we walk on. Knowing this history is the first step toward changing it.
The Touch Grass Initiative connects personal mindfulness practice to environmental justice. When you walk your neighborhood with awareness — noticing the air quality, the species that remain, the land use patterns — you are doing both inner and outer work simultaneously.
This is the AlignFlow principle of Cultivate made literal: tending to the soil of your inner life while also tending to the soil beneath your feet.
The Practice
Three simple practices at three different time scales. Start with the daily walk.
Daily
Mindful Walk
Walk your neighborhood for 20 minutes with your phone in your pocket. Notice what is growing, what is broken, what is new. Name three things you've never noticed before.
Weekly
iNaturalist Log
Open iNaturalist and log one observation — a plant, insect, bird, or fungus. Let the AI identify it. Add your location. You're now contributing to global biodiversity research.
Monthly
Land History Research
Research the history of one block in your neighborhood. Who lived here before? What was this land used for? What ecological communities existed here? Share what you find.
Citizen Science Tools
These platforms turn your outdoor observations into real scientific data. No credentials required.
iNaturalist
Record observations of plants, animals, and fungi. AI-powered identification contributes to global biodiversity research.
Start ObservingCalEnviroScreen
California's environmental justice screening tool. See which communities bear the greatest pollution burden — including SGV neighborhoods.
View ScreeningsAirNow — Air Quality Index
Real-time air quality data for the SGV. Check AQI before outdoor activities, especially during wildfire season.
Check AQIeBird — Cornell Lab
Log bird sightings and contribute to one of the largest biodiversity databases in the world. Find SGV hotspots.
Log SightingsOpenFarm
A free and open database for growing food. Find growing guides for crops suited to the SGV climate zone.
Explore CropsCoCoRaHS
Measure and report daily precipitation from your backyard. Your data is used by the National Weather Service.
Join NetworkConnect to the 84-Day Journey
The Touch Grass practice is woven into the AlignFlow 84-Day Journey. Days 29–42 focus specifically on environmental reconnection and land stewardship.