From the Editor - Winter '26

Writing has been a hobby of mine for the past several years. In my previous life as a yoga studio owner, one of the things I enjoyed most was writing thoughtful, and, in my opinion, interesting emails to all of the students that attended my studio. It wasn’t all about yoga or meditation but about life, my thoughts, and stories. When I transitioned into working for the SPC, writing is something that I wanted to carry over but wasn’t sure how to implement it at first. After sitting on this magazine idea for a couple of years I decided (with our extremely supportive board members) to go for it and use the magazine not only as a place for my own creative outlet and writing, but to help draw that out of others as well. There’s a reason why social media accounts like Syracuse History and Humans of New York are so popular. They tell the stories of our neighbors, our city, and remind us that we all share commonalities.

With The Botanical Observer we share the stories of our many pockets of nature that sit in between neighborhoods and buildings. Since we’re a seasonal magazine, our overall theme of this issue is winter. We’re featuring meals that take time to make in our kitchen, but fill our homes with heavenly smells, foraging for home decor, and of course our beloved tradition of the Clinton Square tree lighting. My hope with this issue is that you learn something new, slow down and take time to read each article, and remember to soak in the fruitful moments of your day to day.

Download The Botanical Observer here.