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Research

Walking-with Szenne at Weerde

Becoming the stewards of SZenne River with Natural Contract Lab

Xandra van der Eijk
05 12 2025

Part of the Hydroformations journey is learning from existing initiatives flowing in the same direction. One such initiative is Natural Contract Lab. Since 2023, Natural Contract Lab (NCL) has been Walking-with the SZenne River and their kin communities, including people, dragonflies, willows, sparrows, rain, knotweed, nettles…  seen and unseen. From their source, under a willow tree in Naast, to their confluence, where the river bifurcates with other bodies of water.

 

After spending time with each other at the Confluence of European Water Bodies, an invitation was extended to join two events: a Walking-with, and the Tidal Confluence.

In this gentle walk, I first encountered the Szenne River. I am the only new member of the group, and I immerse myself in their stories and experiences. In a circle, we share our memories and stories around the river. Since I don’t have any yet with the Szenne, I share a Rhine River experience with the group. After we continue our journey, we spend some time in a forest on writing our wishes for the river, directed at them becoming part of the Living Law, which is meant to become actual law, eventually. After the walk is finished, we gather to share food before we all return home.

This invitation precedes a more in-depth exchange and collaboration.

About STILL HERE

STILL HERE is an ephemeral process that is trying to recalibrate the sensuous affection for the SZenne and its kin, to acknowledge water ecosystems and their meaningful relationships. STILL HERE attends to the river, and becomes a shared experience to unlearn current systems of governance and management, to let the river teach us the emergent ripples of care. Giving time to grief and acknowledging our hydro losses, through Walking-with, sensing, and listening to the river, reciprocating and learning from the beings how they care for each other. Asking how we can prepare our porous bodies to learn other ways of care and governance from the river as our teacher.

The relation with the river has been evolving since 2023, with an ongoing Protocol of Reciprocal Care for water bodies. During the process, we become storytellers, the river vessels to remember and acknowledge that the River SZenne is still here.

Find more information on the website of Natural Contract Lab.