#land restoration

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this New York Times story:

The two tracts of land at the edge of the ancient forest in Borneo were relatively small: One was just 74 acres, the other 195. They had also been heavily degraded by human activity. One site consisted of abandoned rice paddies, leaving barren spaces largely devoid of wildlife. The other was deforested grassland that caught fire every year.

But starting in 2009, people from neighboring communities were hired by a local environmental group to help restore the land. They planted native seedlings, yanked out weeds, dug firebreaks and watered the area during droughts. Aided by the region’s heat and abundant rain, the young plants, which included native hardwoods and fruit trees, grew swiftly, and soon created a canopy.

Late in 2020, cameras were set up on the replanted tracts. The land bordered Gunung Palung National Park, home to endangered orangutans, pangolins, white-bearded gibbons and macaques, and researchers wanted to see if wildlife was coming back.

Their findings were heartening. The cameras documented 47 species of mammals, birds and reptiles, 18 of them at risk for extinction, including an endangered Sunda pangolin and two endangered Bornean orangutans.

The study, recently published in the journal Tropical Natural History, shows that community involvement can play a vital role in restoring wildlife habitat and forest ecosystems, according to researchers.

“When we do community-run reforestation, things really grow back faster,” said Nina Finley, the research manager at Health in Harmony, an American nonprofit organization that conducted the study along with an affiliated organization in Indonesia, Alam Sehat Lestari, and staffers from the national park.

Earlier reforestation efforts with less community involvement resulted in young plants that were vulnerable to weeds and wildfires, Ms. Finley said. But after villagers were hired to regularly weed and water the land, the survival rate of saplings rose substantially, and is now above 70 percent.

Ms. Finley said that addressing the needs of the people living nearby first was key to the project’s success.

[thetwistedrope]

Can you walk us through the ecology of your backyard?

so i have been thinking on this for a few days trying to figure out what is meant by "ecology" in this instance (idk why my brain just doesn't quite understand what i'm being asked). so this is my best attempt at answering the question, but uh, it may not actually be answering it at all.

there are three principles that we try to embody when we make changes to teh land out here. we want to 1. improve water retention, 2. reduce erosion, 3. cover the ground wherever possible. imo, these three pieces are key to making any progress with land restoration.

so i sit on about 3.5 acres of property, and i mention this because i guess i want to make it clear that i don't touch every part of the land under my supervision. i would love to really terraform the place to really improve the land, but that requires money and energy that i simply don't have.

so a lot of the land is just left alone. my grandparents had horses, which denuded the back third of the property, and they got into this habit of cutting down anything that grew in the middle third where human activity was most present. so in the places we can't afford to really improve/change, we leave the space alone. if nothing else, we make sure that nothing is cut down and we let nature take whatever course it wants.

on the fringes of where we work, i've gone to dragging branches and other pieces of wood or stone out onto flat surfaces to allow dirt and sediment to accumulate when it rains. it also allows for water to move slower across the land, which can aid in retention. i forget what this method is called, it does have a name, tho.

for places right up by the house, we've covered every square inch of ground in mulch, which is what has really helped with growing bugs. i had no idea we had so many cockroaches out here until we put mulch on everything. the birds then love to pick through teh mulch to get the bugs. we have a wider variety of birds here now than we have before.

we have also dug the ground out to allow the water that comes off of the roof to go away from the house, but to also stay in teh yard to water the trees. gma used to always complain her trees would never grow beyond a certain size, and i'm almost positive its because they didn't get enough water.

i think photos/video show it better than words, tho:

like, my yards aren't pretty, but i think it's hard to deny that there is more stuff growing. all the dead growth will eventually be taken down by rain and critters, and that forms the layer for the next year's growth.

also keep in mind we have only had half an inch of rain since april.

a good example to see how my land looks compared to most people around us:

you can see right where our fence line ends. and the property next door didn't used to look like this. the barren spot you see on teh left side further away also didn't look like this until someone came and bought it and clear cut it all for houses.

white middle class people seem to really love denuding land, and it's disgusting :)

idk if this answers the question, but this is my attempt.

[assistant-honcho]

Everybody watch this video its really good. Honestly this whole project just makes me so happy.

[earaercircular]

Land restoration, “it is rediscovering a living soil”

A mini wood in stead of a car park, a river freed from concrete… In Ile-de-France, the densest region of France, projects for making soils less artificial are spreading timidly.

Breaking tar, replanting trees and resuscitating rivers: in Ile-de-France, the movement to make soils less artificial and to restore land is on its way, with multiple local initiatives, but it is still in its infancy. It is nevertheless a necessity: the region is the densest in France, with an urbanisation rate of 22%, but it needs housing – the Grand Paris law of 2010 plans to build 70,000 per year for twenty five years. So, fighting against the artificialisation of land, as required by the ZAN objective (zero net artificialisation) [1], with the reduction of 50% in the consumption of natural and agricultural surfaces by 2030, requires the reconstruction of cities, by themselves, and therefore by densification. At the risk of suffocation when heat waves strike, with urban heat islands, and at the risk of flooding when the rains are no longer absorbed by the soil.

Constant pedagogy

Cities also need nature. The Regional Biodiversity Agency[2], which depends on the Paris Region Institute[3], has set up a cartographic tool, Regreen[4], to identify the places that most need to breathe, explains Marc Barra, ecologist: "It's a decision support tool, to raise awareness in cities.” It was tested in Aulnay-sous-Bois[5], where over-urbanized areas appear in red. Like this industrial zone, to the northwest of the city, which, if the land were partly restored, could offer continuity with the existing parks. The map also identifies the land restoration potential, 15.88% of the territory for Aulnay, on more than 1,000 sites.

“Land restoration means dewatering, depolluting and finding living soil,” says Marc Barra. “It's not landscaping, it's not putting a little green, with potted plants and vegetation on flagstones." It takes fine naturalist knowledge to restore an ecosystem. The town of Sarcelles[6], for example, chose to reopen part of the Petit Rosne river ten years ago. The goal was first to prevent flooding: in 1992, the city centre found itself with 1.50 meters of water, because the natural outlet, the river, was under concrete. “We took advantage of this waterproofing to let nature express itself,” explains Eric Chanal, director of SIAH, the inter-municipal syndicate for the hydraulic development of Croult and Petit Rosne. With success, thanks to constant pedagogy. “Everyone wants nature, but without tall grass, with shaved banks, and without insects,” he notes. There is also the fear of squatting or noise at night for residents. “We must respond to these fears from the start of the project, specifies Eric Chanal. We are only giving back a space to a population.”

Weather Channel

The wastelands are also interesting. In Aubervilliers[7], a city deficient in trees with only 13% of canopy on its territory, a former car park now hosts a mini wood over a hundred square meters, with a weather station to measure temperatures, and a subterranean rainwater collector. Ariane Gaunand, manager of shared green spaces in Plaine commune[8], which brings together nine towns in the north of Paris, including Aubervilliers, says: "Trees are essential for the city's adaptation to global warming, for its cooling and the development of biodiversity." Priority, to the point that any tree felling must be the subject of a prior request. “We are trying to de-waterproof and plant the three strata, trees, shrubs and low plants, as soon as we can, but the big problem is that we are running out of space. Under the sidewalks, there are pipes, internet cables, everywhere,” she explains. Same observation for the ecologist Marc Barra: “In cities full of concrete like Paris, the ground is occupied by other uses. We cannot provide with land restoration.” However, he salutes the Parisian experience of green streets, with climbing plants that reach the walls[9].

This is the next progress to come in the field of making places less artificial, giving real value to the soil, the latter still being perceived as a simple support for human activity. However, a soil rich in humus should be more preserved than a polluted subsoil. "One of my teachers always said that there were no pandas in the earth, no protected species," laughs Marc Barra. However, earthworms and consorts also deserve our full attention: 25% of the world's biodiversity is found in the soil.

Source

Stéphanie Maurice, La renaturation, «c’est retrouver un sol vivant», in Libération, 10-03-2023 ; https://www.liberation.fr/forums/la-renaturation-cest-retrouver-un-sol-vivant-20230310_42RXFAKSM5FKLLUDOTHY45EZDM/

[1] Eve Szeftel, Loi climat: Christophe Béchu temporise sur l’objectif «zéro artificialisation nette»( Climate law: Christophe Béchu procrastinates on the “zero net artificialisation” objective), in Libération, 21 septembre 2022 ; https://www.liberation.fr/societe/loi-climat-lobjectif-zero-artificialisation-nette-des-sols-fait-debat-chez-les-maires-et-les-urbanistes-20220921_EES6OHGMNZCF3FJNHPN5H7UB5A/; The Minister for Ecological Transition asked the prefects to “not rush” to achieve the “ZAN”, the major objective of the law adopted in 2021. Specialists fear a “binary classification” of the territories.

[2] The Agences régionales de la biodiversité (Regional Biodiversity Agencies) bring together all voluntary local actors (local authorities, associations, socio-economic actors, uses) to act in favour of biodiversity. They are created on the initiative of the Region and the OFB, present in the territories via its regional directorates, and are linked to the State services in the regions, the Water Agencies and all the actors concerned. . This established local network enables the deployment of new joint actions and reinforces the effectiveness of public policies..

[3] The Institut d'aménagement et d'urbanisme de la Région parisienne (IAURP) (Institute for Planning and Urban Planning of the Paris Region) was created on May 4, 1960 by decree of the Minister for Equipment, Pierre Sudreau, then recognized as a public utility foundation on August 2, 1960. It became, in 1976, the Institut d'aménagement et d'urbanisme de la région d'Île-de-France (IAURIF) (Île-de-France regional planning and urban planning institute). In 2008 the acronym changed to become IAU île-de-France. Since 2019, the foundation has been transferred to an association under the law of 1901 and has become L'Institut Paris Region. A major regional planning and environment agency, it offers unique multidisciplinary expertise allowing it to deal with the issues of territorial development at 360°.

[4] REGREEN promotes urban liveability, through fostering nature-based solutions in Europe and China using evidence-based tools and improved urban governance accelerating the transition towards equitable, green and healthy cities. https://www.regreen-project.eu/

[5] Aulnay-sous-Bois is a commune in the Seine-Saint-Denis department in the Île-de-France region in the north-eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 13.9 km from the Kilometre zero.

[6] Sarcelles is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 16.3 km from the centre of Paris. Sarcelles is a sub-prefecture of the Val-d'Oise department and the seat of the arrondissement of Sarcelles.

[7] Aubervilliers is a commune in the Seine-Saint-Denis department, Île-de-France region, north-eastern suburbs of Paris, France.

[8] Plaine Commune is a territorial public establishment (EPT) which brings together 9 towns north of Paris. They are federated around a common project, in a space that is undergoing unprecedented changes in the Paris region. Plaine Commune is also the Territory of culture and creation in Greater Paris. https://plainecommune.fr/institution/qui-sommes-nous/

[9] Aude Massiot, Comment végétaliser sa façade,(How to green your facade) in : Libération, 18 juillet 2020 ; https://www.liberation.fr/terre/2020/07/18/comment-vegetaliser-sa-facade_1794487/?redirected=1; To cope with the heat, welcome insects and birds and beautify your home, here are some tips available to individuals.

[redspringthorn]

A just world still exists in the narrows of my life,

small passageways that somehow seem untouched by the cruel hand that touches me

and you.

I open up a path of leaves in the middle of the dry and parched earth and crabgrass. I invite in the asters and goldenrod

and other friends I can find sleeping in a seed pod.

They have lived here before and they will live here again

and every morning I say good morning damp earth, top soil forming, asters who will soon be dancing in the breeze with their children,

reach out your hand and touch me

and I will take you home again and again

[marywoodartdept]

Multiple Views in Landscape Painting

McKenna, our painting blogger, is embracing a creative challenge in advanced painting She's working on a series of landscape views that capture shifting perspectives and moods of the IHM Welcoming Space and Land Restoration. #MarywoodArt #Painting

In advanced painting, a recent assignment is painting multiple views of a landscape across several canvases, either arranged horizontally or vertically. The goal is to create a series that, when viewed together, forms a cohesive yet dynamic representation of the landscape. This assignment goes beyond merely capturing a landscape. It explores how different perspectives, lighting, and atmospheric…

[manatahuna1]

Community Involvement in Land Restoration: How Local Efforts Make a Difference

Land restoration is a critical practice for reversing environmental degradation and revitalizing ecosystems. While scientific knowledge and technical expertise are essential, the involvement of local communities is equally crucial for the success and sustainability of restoration projects. Community participation not only enhances the effectiveness of restoration efforts but also ensures that these initiatives are culturally relevant and economically beneficial. This post explores the importance of community involvement in land restoration, highlighting how local efforts make a significant difference.

The Importance of Community Involvement

Local Knowledge and Expertise

Communities often possess invaluable local knowledge and expertise about their environment. This includes understanding local plant species, soil conditions, water sources, and historical land use practices. Leveraging this knowledge can greatly enhance the effectiveness of restoration projects.

Traditional Ecological Knowledge: Indigenous and local communities frequently have traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) that has been accumulated over generations. This knowledge includes practices for sustainable land management, natural resource use, and ecosystem restoration that are adapted to local conditions.

Customized Solutions: Local expertise allows for the development of tailored restoration solutions that are more likely to succeed in the specific context of the project area. For example, local communities can provide insights into the best native plant species to use, the most effective methods for controlling erosion, and the timing of planting activities.

Building Ownership and Stewardship

When communities are actively involved in land restoration, they are more likely to feel a sense of ownership and stewardship over the restored areas. This ownership fosters a greater commitment to the long-term success of the project.

Engagement and Participation: Community involvement in decision-making, planning, and implementation processes helps build a sense of responsibility and pride. When people have a say in how restoration activities are conducted, they are more invested in ensuring the project's success.

Long-Term Care: Local residents are more likely to continue caring for and maintaining restored areas over the long term. This includes monitoring the health of the ecosystem, managing invasive species, and addressing any emerging issues.

Economic and Social Benefits

Involving communities in land restoration can provide significant economic and social benefits. These benefits can help support the well-being of local residents and contribute to the overall success of restoration efforts.

Job Creation: Restoration projects often create job opportunities for local residents, including roles in planting, monitoring, and maintenance. This can provide a source of income and improve economic conditions in the community.

Skills Development: Community involvement in restoration activities can lead to the development of new skills and knowledge. This includes training in ecological management, sustainable land practices, and environmental stewardship.

Social Cohesion: Collaborative restoration efforts can strengthen social bonds within communities. Working together towards a common goal fosters teamwork, cooperation, and a sense of collective achievement.

Successful Examples of Community Involvement

The Great Green Wall Initiative (Africa)

The Great Green Wall (GGW) is an ambitious project aimed at combating desertification and restoring degraded land across the Sahel region of Africa. Community involvement is a key component of the GGW, with local residents playing a central role in planting trees, managing land, and implementing sustainable practices.

Local Participation: Communities are involved in various aspects of the GGW, including selecting tree species, planting, and monitoring progress. This participatory approach ensures that restoration activities are adapted to local conditions and needs.

Impact: The involvement of local communities has led to the successful restoration of millions of hectares of land, increased vegetation cover, improved soil health, and enhanced livelihoods for thousands of people.

The Atlantic Forest Restoration Project (Brazil)

The Atlantic Forest Restoration Project focuses on restoring degraded areas of the Atlantic Forest, one of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems. Community engagement is integral to the project, with local residents participating in reforestation activities, conservation efforts, and sustainable land management.

Community Engagement: The project involves local communities in reforestation, agroforestry, and conservation activities. This includes providing training, resources, and support to ensure effective participation.

Impact: The involvement of communities has contributed to the restoration of thousands of hectares of forest, increased biodiversity, improved water quality, and enhanced economic opportunities for local residents.

The Loess Plateau Restoration Project (China)

The Loess Plateau Restoration Project is a large-scale land restoration effort aimed at addressing severe soil erosion and land degradation. Local communities play a crucial role in the project, contributing to reforestation, soil conservation, and sustainable land management.

Local Participation: Communities are involved in activities such as planting trees, constructing check dams, and implementing soil conservation measures. The project also provides training and support to local residents.

Impact: The involvement of local communities has led to the successful restoration of millions of hectares of land, reduced soil erosion, improved agricultural productivity, and enhanced ecosystem services.

Strategies for Enhancing Community Involvement

Building Partnerships

Establishing strong partnerships with local communities, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders is essential for effective community involvement in land restoration.

Collaborative Planning: Engage communities early in the planning process to ensure their perspectives and needs are considered. Collaborative planning helps build trust, align goals, and create a shared vision for the restoration project.

Ongoing Communication: Maintain open and transparent communication with community members throughout the project. This includes providing regular updates, soliciting feedback, and addressing concerns.

Providing Training and Resources

Providing training and resources to local communities is crucial for empowering them to participate effectively in land restoration efforts.

Capacity Building: Offer training programs and workshops to enhance the skills and knowledge of community members. This includes training in ecological management, restoration techniques, and sustainable practices.

Resource Support: Provide necessary resources, such as seeds, tools, and equipment, to support community-led restoration activities. Access to these resources enables communities to carry out restoration work more effectively.

Encouraging Inclusivity

Ensuring that all members of the community have the opportunity to participate in restoration activities is important for building a sense of collective ownership and ensuring the success of the project.

Inclusive Participation: Actively involve diverse groups within the community, including women, youth, and marginalized populations. This promotes equitable participation and ensures that the benefits of restoration are shared by all.

Addressing Barriers: Identify and address any barriers to participation, such as language barriers, lack of transportation, or financial constraints. Providing support and solutions to these barriers helps ensure inclusive and effective involvement.

Recognizing and Celebrating Achievements

Recognizing and celebrating the contributions and achievements of local communities can enhance motivation and sustain engagement in restoration efforts.

Acknowledgment: Publicly acknowledge the efforts and contributions of community members through events, media coverage, and other forms of recognition. This reinforces the value of their participation and fosters a sense of accomplishment.

Celebration: Organize events and activities to celebrate milestones and successes in the restoration project. Celebrating achievements helps build community morale and reinforces the importance of continued involvement.

Conclusion

Community involvement is a vital component of successful land restoration efforts. By leveraging local knowledge, building ownership and stewardship, and providing economic and social benefits, communities play a crucial role in enhancing the effectiveness and sustainability of restoration projects. Successful examples from around the world demonstrate the positive impact of community engagement on restoring degraded landscapes, improving ecosystems, and supporting local livelihoods.

Let's Connect!

Name: Mana Tahuna

Address: 5 Sutherland Lane, Frankton, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand

Phone: +64 21 860 393

[intlforestday]

Side event titled "Robust Forest Monitoring System for Assuring the Sustainable Forest Management".

The side event aims to discuss best practices and experiences on forest monitoring systems. Through this event, we also seek to strengthen collaboration and partnership between government agencies, research institutions, civil society organizations, and related stakeholders on sustainable forest management.

On the occasion of  the 19th session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF19),  the Government of the Republic of Indonesia is organizing a side event titled "Robust Forest Monitoring System for Assuring the Sustainable Forest Management", on Thursday, 9 May 2024, from 1.15 – 2.30 PM at the Conference Room 2 of UN HQ, New York.

[thuvarwal]

Land Restoration, Reclamation or Rehabilitation: Agroforestry comes to play

[economicsinaction]

Human development can help ecosystem restoration

Human development can help ecosystem restoration

I am part of a new global initiative on land by G-20 countries. Though issues of land degradation was a subject of my studies from doctoral research, I used this opportunity to read the relevant literature and information on global efforts on land/ecosystem restoration. Economists have a good understanding on what leads to land degradation, but there is not enough knowledge on what may help…

[carsthatnevermadeitetc]

Toyota FJ45 Land Cruiser, 1983. A comprehensively restored Land Cruiser pick-up is to be offered at auction in Arizona. The 4.2-liter 2F straight-six has been rebuilt and the suspension has been up-graded with an Old Man Emu suspension kit. The electrical system has also been updated. After being taken back to bare metal the FJ45 has been finished in Olive Green with a white roof with custom tan leather upholstery

auction listing

[rebeccathenaturalist]

It's been exciting seeing the progress in removing old dams like those on the Klamath and other PNW rivers. However, it's not as simple as deciding this particular dam is no longer useful and then removing it. Removal requires time and money, and unfortunately there is sometimes pushback from community members or business entities.

Removal is worth the effort, though. Allowing a river to run naturally restores crucial salmon habitat and cools the water--critical changes in the face of climate change's ever-rising temperatures. And many dam removals directly benefit indigenous people, who have been leading the effort for dam removal in the Pacific Northwest.

This is why it's more important than ever to push decision-makers to opt for dam removal, to include allocating funding and other resources. As this summer's record-breaking temperatures across North America show, salmon and other living beings in and around these rivers need all the help they can get, as soon as possible.

[melveres]

letters from his Spellbinder

[wingedblooms]

Blooming with life

@offtorivendell and I were chatting about the cover for the next book and while there are several options for what might be depicted on the cover, the one that makes the most sense to me (and makes us scream) is the Cauldron (blooming with life, vines and flowers and creatures spilling from its iron lip). It hasn’t been used on a cover yet, and assuming Sarah will continue with one romantic pairing per book, it would align perfectly with what Elain and Azriel’s story would contribute to the overarching plot.

Let me preface this by saying that I do think the three Archeron sisters embody (or are vessels) for the three faces of the Mother, and they will likely need to come together at some point in this storyline (the dream). But if anyone’s story is connected to a force that once bloomed with life, and is tasked with uncovering its secrets to help it and the land bloom again, it’s Elain. The quiet, gentle gardener who glows like the dawn and smells like a promise of spring. She might even be able to use the language of creation to (re)write her own fate. It doesn’t seem coincidental that Azriel has been present or connected to Elain’s major moments involving the Cauldron (her forced rebirth, naming her powers, questioning the mating bond, using TT to rescue her family, being forbidden from going near the Cauldron, etc.). Their story is tied to the Cauldron and what we’ve learned about it (from the original trilogy to the spin-off books to the crossover). Sarah has left hints that it is still important, in general, and specifically in Elain’s journey with Azriel:

acotar

Feyre gives us our first glimpse of the Cauldron from the living (Spring Court):

I found myself overlooking a rose garden, filled with dozens of hues of crimson and pink and white and yellow.

I might have allowed myself a moment to take in the colors, gleaming with dew under the morning sun, had I not glimpsed the painting that stretched along the wall beside the windows.

[…]

At first I could do nothing but stare at its size, the ambition of it, at the fact that this masterpiece was tucked back here for no one to ever see, as if it was nothing—absolutely nothing—to create something like this.

It told a story with the way colors and shapes and light flowed, the way the tone shifted across the mural. The story of…of Prythian.

It began with a cauldron.

A mighty black cauldron held by glowing, slender female hands in a starry, endless night. Those hands tipped it over, golden sparkling liquid pouring out over the lip. No—not sparkling, but…effervescent with small symbols, perhaps of some ancient faerie language. Whatever was written there, whatever it was, the contents of the cauldron were dumped into the void below, pooling on the earth to form our world…(acotar)

acomaf

Elain emerges from the Cauldron. It tips onto its side by itself, as if influenced by an unseen force. Elain rises from the floor, like the earth in the mural, glowing with immortal light and beauty.

And as if it had been tipped by invisible hands, the Cauldron turned on its side. More water than seemed possible dumped out in a cascade. Black, smoke-coated water.

And Elain, as if she’d been thrown by a wave, washed onto the stones facedown.

Her legs were so pale—so delicate. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen them bare. The queens pushed forward. Alive, she had to be alive, had to have wanted to live—

Elain sucked in a breath, her fine-boned back rising, her wet nightgown nearly sheer.

And as she rose from the ground onto her elbows, the gag in place, as she twisted to look at me—

Nesta began roaring again.

Pale skin started to glow. Her face had somehow become more beautiful—infinitely beautiful, and her ears … Elain’s ears were now pointed beneath her sodden hair. (acomaf)

acowar

After Elain was Made in the Cauldron, Azriel is the one to name her power, freeing her from a murky realm where dream and reality entwine:

“A seer,” he said, more to himself than us. “The Cauldron made you a seer.” (acowar)

Feyre wonders about Elain’s new, inner sight and how it might be connected to the Cauldron.

Elain had been told—by Amren. She now sat at the table, more straight-backed and clear-eyed than I’d seen her. Had she beheld this, in whatever wanderings that new, inner sight granted her? Had the Cauldron whispered of it while we’d been away? I hadn’t the heart to ask her. (acowar)

Feyre questions the mating bond system, wondering why Azriel and Elain aren’t mates and who determines it.

“Why not make them mates?” I mused. “Why Lucien?”

“I’d keep that question from Lucien.”

“I’m serious.” I turned toward him and crossed my arms. “What decides it? Who decides it?”

Rhys straightened his lapels before plucking an invisible piece of lint from them. “Fate, the Mother, the Cauldron’s swirling eddies…”

Azriel is the first to notice Elain’s absence and risks his life to get her back, inspiring Feyre to join him.

From the shadows near the entrance to the tent, Azriel said, as if in answer to some unspoken debate, “I’m getting her back.”

Nesta slid her gaze to the shadowsinger. Azriel’s eyes glowed golden in the shadows.

Nesta said, “Then you will die.”

Azriel only repeated, rage glazing that stare, “I’m getting her back.”

With the shadows, he might stand a chance of slipping in. But there were wards to consider, and ancient magic, and the king with those spells and the Cauldron…(acowar)

Armed with Truth-Teller, the blade Azriel gifted to her for the battle, Elain—rather than the Cauldron—answered Feyre’s pleas, somehow appearing just in time to deal Hybern a killing blow.

For a moment, I thought the Cauldron had answered my pleas.

But as a black blade broke through the king’s throat, spraying blood, I realized someone else had.

Elain stepped out of a shadow behind him, and rammed Truth-Teller to the hilt through the back of the king’s neck as she snarled in his ear, “Don’t you touch my sister.” (acowar)

While connected to it through a living link, Feyre learns that the Cauldron adores Elain, gave her such powers (plural, baby), and would not harm her.

The Cauldron seemed to realize what she’d done, too, as his head thumped onto the mossy ground. That Elain…Elain had defended this thief. Elain, who it had gifted with such powers, found her so lovely it had wanted to give her something…It would not harm Elain, even in its hunt to reclaim what had been taken. (acowar)

Both Elain and the Cauldron are described as blooms in bleak and barren settings, which seems to be a hint of their intertwined role/power that is reinforced in the spin-offs and crossover.

She was a rose bloom in a mud field…[…] If Elain was a blooming flower in this army camp, then Nesta, she was a freshly forged sword, waiting to draw blood. (acowar)

-

The Cauldron shattered into three pieces, peeling apart like a blossoming flower (acowar)

acosf

Cassian reminds us that the Cauldron is hidden (and supposedly asleep) in Cretea, worrying that no one could control it if it awoke.

A chill skittered down Cassian’s spine. He trusted the Seraphim Prince and the half-human woman to keep the Cauldron concealed, but there would be nothing they or anyone could do to control its power if awoken. (acosf)

Nesta reminds us of the time the Cauldron stole Elain and its song called only to her:

Elain had been stolen by the Cauldron and saved by Azriel and Feyre. Yet the two terror still gripped Nesta, waking and asleep: the memory of how it had felt in those moments after hearing the Cauldron’s seductive call and realizing it had been for Elain, not for her or Feyre. How it had felt to find Elain’s tent empty, to see that blue cloak discarded. (acosf)

The Inner Circle discusses the Cauldron-Made Trove, and Feyre and Amren remind us that like calls to like, which is why the sisters can help find them.

“What does it have to do with the Cauldron?” Nesta pushed.

“Like calls to like,” Feyre murmured, looking to Amren, who nodded. “Because the Trove was Made by the Cauldron, so might the Trove find its Maker.” (acosf)

Elain offers to find the Trove when Nesta admits to her fears, and Nesta forbids her from going anywhere near the Cauldron.

Amren said, “You tracked the Cauldron—”

“It nearly killed me. It trapped me like a bird in a cage.”

Elain said, “Then I will find it. I might require some time to…reacquaint myself with my powers, but I could start today.”

“Absolutely not,” Nesta spat, fingers curling at her sides. “Absolutely not.”

“Why?” Elain demanded. “Shall I tend to my little garden forever?” When Nesta flinched, Elain said, “You can’t have it both ways.o You cannot resent my decision to lead a small, quiet life while also refusing to let me do anything greater.”

“Then go off on adventures,” Nesta said. “Go drink and fuck strangers. But stay away from the Cauldron.”

Feyre said, “It’s Elain’s choice, Nesta.” (acosf)

Nesta gives us a glimpse of the dusk service where priestesses worship the Mother and the Cauldron and the Forces That Be (Fate). A sacred, possibly interchangeable trio, which is deeply connected to creation and the earth:

The music was pure, ancient, by turns whispering and bold, one moment like a tendril of mist, the next like a gilded ray of light. It finished, and Merrill spoke about the Mother and the Cauldron and the land and sun and water. She spoke of blessings and dreams and hope. Of mercy and love and growth. (acosf)

Nesta finds the carved rose Papa Archeron made for Elain and places it next to a figurine of a primordial goddess:

She plucked another figurine from the mantel: a rose carved from a dark sort of wood. She held it in her palm, its solid weight surprising, and traced a finger over one of the petals. “He made this one for Elain. Since it was winter and she missed the flowers.”

-

Her gaze shifted to the carved wooden rose she’d placed upon the mantel, half-hidden in the shadows beside a figurine of a supple-bodied female, her upraised arms clasping a full moon between them. Some sort of primal goddess—perhaps even the Mother herself. Nesta hadn’t let herself dwell on why she’d felt the need to set the rose there. Why she hadn’t just thrown it in a drawer. (acosf)

Nesta makes a bargain with the Cauldron, so it is at least somewhat awake and seems to be influenced by, or working alongside, a luminescent hand (maybe a gentle gardener’s hand?) that intervenes on Nesta’s behalf.

And as it faded, dark ink splashed upon Nesta’s back, visible through her half-shredded shirt, as if it were a wave crashing upon the shore.

A bargain with the Cauldron itself.

Yet Cassian could have sworn a luminescent, gentle hand prevented the light from leaving her body altogether. (acosf)

After their almost-kiss on solstice, Azriel dares to question the Cauldron, which he appears to revere.

“What if the Cauldron was wrong?”

Rhysand blinked. “What of Mor, Az?”

Azriel ignored the question. “The Cauldron chose three sisters. Tell me how it’s possible that my two brothers are with two of those sisters, yet the third was given to another.” He had never before dared speak the words aloud.

hofas

In the crossover, we learn more of the Cauldron’s history. Life once blossomed from it, but—as if echoing Azriel’s question to Rhys—it was warped by the Daglan (Asteri).

“The Cauldron,” Azriel amended. Bryce shook her head, not understanding. “You don’t have stories of it in your world? The Fae didn’t bring that tradition with them?”

Bryce surveyed the giant cauldron. “No. We have five gods, but no cauldron. What does it do?”

“All life came and comes from it,” Azriel said with something like reverence. “The Mother poured it into this world, and from it, life blossomed.” (hofas)

-

The Cauldron was of our world, our heritage. But upon arriving here, the Daglan captured it and used their powers to warp it. To turn it from what it had been into something deadlier. No longer just a tool of creation, but of destruction. And the horrors it produced … those, too, my parents would turn to their advantage. (hofas)

The Under-King leaves us with a look at the Cauldron from the dead. It was misconstrued as a goddess over time, explaining interconnected, if not interchangeable, terms (Mother, Cauldron, Fate/Forces That Be), but she is a force and her name is Wyrd.

The Under-King lounged on a throne beneath a behemoth statue of a figure holding a black metal bowl between her upraised hands. Symbols were carved all over the bowl, continuing down her fingers, her arms, her body. Ithan could only assume it was meant to represent Urd. No other temples ever depicted the goddess, no one even dared—most people claimed that fate was impossible to portray in any one form. But it seemed that the dead, unlike the living, had a vision of her. And those symbols running from the bowl onto her skin … they were like tattoos.

[…]

“And she,” the Under-King went on, gesturing to that unusual depiction of Urd towering above him, “was not a goddess, but a force that governed worlds. A cauldron of life, brimming with the language of creation. Urd, they call her here—a bastardized version of her true name. Wyrd, we called her in that old world.” (hofas)

Tags: @elriel-month 💕

What do you think will be on the cover, friends? Do you agree it might be the Cauldron, or will it be something else, like the Harp or even…a Pegasus?!

[b4kuch1n]

toy doctor redux

plushy based on this guy