Madre Earth x Wildflower Boom

In celebration of Mother Nature’s hardworking pollinators, Madre Earth presents a new offering. We partnered with activist Chloe Nørgaard’s Wildflower Boom – a worldwide creative planting initiative and environmental art collective – to launch new limited run Madre Earth tees that have been hand-dyed with natural, plant-based dyes from Oaxaca, Mexico.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO POLLINATORS FACE AND WHAT CAN PEOPLE DO TO SUPPORT THEM?

We're all interconnected and its a global issue. This is one solution to support positive change. Through planting, we can create pollinator pathways to support their movements around the world. We want them everywhere.

WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH THE FUNDS RAISED FROM THE SALE OF THESE SHIRTS?

I am currently working as the sustainability director of an artists non profit in Miami (Rainbow Oasiiis) where I am building an herbal sanctuary for the headquarters. We just got our compost program up and running and are working on building bat houses! We already have butterfly visitors daily in the garden and are aiming to make the environment best for their continued nourishment. And of course the bees, birds and other pollinators as well.

When I am back in New York for an extended duration I have approval from a local community center to do a clean up and re-wilding of a long strip of dirt that borders the building and sidewalk.

In the past I have created and shared seed packets and taken on smaller planting projects that support the mission of habitat, food and shelter for pollinators. Working on bigger projects!

WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT THE PROCESS OF MAKING NATURAL DYES FROM YOUR TRIP TO CASA DON TAURINO?

I really enjoyed the experience, they are so knowledgeable and inspiring. They shared the history of materials being used which was super interesting. I loved being in the workshop with them.

WHAT WAS THE PROCESS OF DYING THE SHIRTS?

We got to see all of the color examples available and chose our materials based on the connection to the mission. Pomegranate & avocado are pollinated by bees (a lot of the food we love is!) and marigolds attract pollinators as well. The cochineal is an insect which is actually parasitic to a certain type of cactus. These tiny little bugs create such a vibrant color.

A fun fact is that the Agave plant that makes Mezcal attracts bats! And I personally love bats because a) they are cute, and b) they eat mosquitos!

EACH OF THE MADRE EARTH X WILDFLOWER BOOM SHIRTS COMES WITH A WILDFLOWER SEED PACK. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THIS SEED MIX?

Yes! So I created this blend so that people can grow their own flowers that they can harvest to make their own natural dyes at home. The color palette also matches that of the shirt. I love crafting up seed blends.

IF YOU COULD SHARE A MEZCAL WITH ANYONE LIVING OR DEAD, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

My father's mother because I never got to meet her.

Purchase the Madre Earth x Wildflower Boom Longsleeve Tee here.

Each 100% recycled cotton tee, made by Everybody.World, features a screen-printed motif custom-designed by LAND that highlights the critical role that pollinators such as bees and butterflies play in sustaining our environment. The tees were hand dyed by our friends at Casa Don Taurino in Oaxaca using local plants including wild-harvested marigold flowers, pomegranate & avocado skins, and cochineal to create the vibrant orange hue.

Each purchase will include a special pollinator packet with seeds for flowers used in natural dyes. Proceeds from every Madre Earth x Wildflower Boom shirt sold go to support the work of the Wildflower Boom, a worldwide creative planting initiative and environmental art collective.

On top of creating this shirt together, we were able to sit down and talk to our collaborator and Wildflower Boom founder Chloe Nørgaard about her mission and work and her experience working with Casa Don Taurino.

TELL US ABOUT WILDFLOWER BOOM AND YOUR MISSION TO SUPPORT POLLINATORS?

PLANT FLOWERS EVERYWHERE! Wildflower Boom started as a guerilla gardening initiative and has blossomed into partnering with schools, festivals, brands and more for planting events, seed bomb workshops, fundraisers to support habitat restoration after wildfires and access to native seeds!