Iwa-Do 岩道

Objective: Iwa - 岩 Do - 道 : In Japanese, ""iwa"" (岩) means stone, and ""dō"" (道) means the path. Moving beyond the colonial relationship in rock climbing characterized by competition and performance, this workshop is an invitation to be in relationship with the rock. Through guided meditation and knowledge sharing about forces—historical, geological, multispecies—that continue to shape these natural formations  and Fort Tryon Park, we invite participants to gaze, reflect, and interface with the rocks of the city.

Please note: Climbing is at your own discretion with the return of our liability waiver [ and return to projects at fieldmeridians dot org].

What’s Included: 

• Guided Meditation
• Sample Fieldguide to Fort Tryon Park
• Lichen Guidebook
• Magnifying loupes
• Microscopes

What to Bring:

• Notebook and Pen
• Comfortable clothing and footwear
• Water bottle
• Magnifying loupe (optional)
• Bouldering Gear (optional)

About Facilitators:

Ashima Shiraishi is a Japanese-American rock climber and artist whose approach is informed by her background in Zen Buddhism. A former elite competitive climber, Ashima is now focused on how climbing can be a conduit to explore ecology, geology, indigenous mythology and nature, as a form of deep geological and corporeal listening. 

Rachael Louise Elliott is a Brooklyn-based multi-disciplinary designer, artist, and researcher. She is the founder and creative director of Studio Senjeh, a multidisciplinary design studio working on exhibition design, furniture, interiors, textiles, and objects. The studio creates spaces and objects driven by curiosity, craft, technology, nostalgia, and heritage. 

Sophia Rizzolo is a recent graduate from New York University’s XE: Experimental Humanities and Social Engagement. Her award winning Master’s thesis considered urban lichen as lively collaborators. Sophia is an artist whose work gestures toward a new kind of politics—more just figurations of relating—grounded in collaboration beyond the boundaries of animacy, species, and the confines of symbolism.

is a Clinical Assistant Professor at New York University. Mustafa is an ecologist with a particular interest in microbial ecology, mycorrhizal fungi, soil biogeochemistry, and environmental and climate justice.

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