Walking as Research Practice

Walking together has always been a way for Future Prairie artists to learn about the world and about ourselves. Walking meditations in Oregon open our senses to sounds, smells, and textures beneath our feet and help us feel connected to the land we live on now. Over time, our founder and Executive Director realized that walking meditation could be more than a personal ritual; it could also be a way to gather LGBTQ2SIA+ and ALAANA (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, Native American) artists with strangers to start conversations and build a sense of belonging with people who often feel unseen.

We began using walking as a research practice in Portland's neighborhoods, parks, and along our rivers, eventually completing several half marathons along the way. We walk at a slow, meditative pace. When possible, we like to take all day. Together we speak and move gently, stopping to notice moss on a tree trunk or to listen to birdsong echo through the branches. Walking side by side, we shared stories about our lives, dreams, and goals. We often read poetry aloud in these spaces as well.

Forest bathing is a cherished, though not essential, part of this practice. Sensory immersion in nature asks us to leave our phones behind and turn our attention to the living world around us. In a quiet clearing, we sit together, breathing slowly, letting natural light, scent, and sound calm our minds. This shared practice has been healing because we create space to process communal grief and share stories while also practicing deep listening. Our bodies and our souls are part of something larger than any one struggle. Art in nature reminds us of this.

Walking as Research Practice feels urgent right now. Trans and otherwise marginalized people carry histories of exclusion, mistrust in public spaces, and constant vigilance. When we walk together through the forest, we reclaim safety. We practice being known in a world that often tries to make us invisible. We learn to trust one another and to trust the earth as a witness to our worth. In those moments, community becomes a vehicle for care and resistance.

Our inspiration for this practice comes from a desire to bridge boundaries. In bringing strangers together on shared city paths and rural trails, we develop networks of support that flow into galleries, coffee shops, venues, churches, hospitals, and living rooms. Being together in nature is our birthright. In that belonging we find healing, resilience, and hope for a future where everyone has a little more room to breathe.

for Metro: ​Walking as Research Practice in Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area

​for Clackamas County: ​Walking as Research Practice in Clackamas

for Oregon Community Foundation: ​Walking as Research Practice in Forest Park