About the Instructor
Astrid Castillo was introduced to soil and plant magic by their grandfather. Astrid has a close connection to liberatory land movements and is an afro Caribbean community organizer, educator, soil steward, a campesina, artist, abolitionist, community herbalist, futurist, and weaver.
Their politic is informed by legacies of land stewards and immigrating to the states, leading them to work in both sustainable urban and rural farms in Montana, New Jersey and throughout the Finger Lakes region in New York. Following their passion for youth mentorship and activism, Astrid became the Director of Education at the Youth Farm Project, where they utilized their knowledge and experiences to create liberatory land-based curriculums, social justice youth programs, and community education Knowledge Shares. Organizing communities around land-based healing via food sovereignty, community resilience, housing justice, mushroom cultivation, herbal medicine, plant ID, basket weaving, and dream tracking are some of the ways in which they share their deep commitment to liberation and freedom. Central to this work is the dismantling of barriers that surround land-based healing, as they help others acknowledge their own power in becoming stewards of the natural and social environment. Honoring ancestral interconnectedness to land, Astrid’s work reinforces the power that Black and Brown folks have to shape culture, community, and thus shape change.
Location Maria Sola Community Greenspace