100 Words Anthologies
Created by : Melida Rodas
Ancestry. Artistry. Agency.
REED
REED - Interactive Poetry Garden
(a work in Progress)
VISION STATEMENT:
REED IPG is a premier placemaking initiative and the foundational pilot for a New Jersey Eco-Corridor.
Led by Poet Laureate Melida Rodas,
the project revitalizes historic landmarks as portals for Indigenous and community expression, demonstrating that cultural stewardship is essential to urban decarbonization.
Founded in Jersey City, this model serves as a scalable blueprint—utilizing spatial soundscapes and digital tools to activate historical landmarks and urban landscapes. Our mission is to integrate ancestral wisdom with modern technology to create a more resilient, sustainable future for all.
Read about Our Draft #12
Fizzy Drinks!
C O L L A B O R A T E
W I T H U S
REED: A Quiet Play on “Read”
The Multisensory Corridor
Stories live all around us, waiting to be exhaled by the landscape.
Imagine walking through an urban corridor where the environment itself speaks. What if our green pathways were woven with poetry, music, and art—drifting through the air like small, hidden gifts for every generation to discover?
Located directly across from St. Joseph’s School for the Blind, REED IPG is committed to a landscape that is felt as much as it is seen. Through subtle QR codes and tactile Braille poetry, the land reveals its deeper layers: a spatial soundscape for the ear, an ancestral history for the mind, and textured verses for the hand.
Along the way, interactive prompts invite you to pause—a question, a phrase, a beginning. We are not just asking you to witness our changing world; we are inviting you to respond to it, turning a public stroll into a collective, fully accessible act of restoration.
The Living Laboratory
Our seasonal activations transform the landscape into a living canvas for communal restoration. We invite the public to step out of the digital world and back into the rhythm of the earth through:
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Ephemeral Land Art: Collaborative, large-scale mandala-making using only the organic materials found on-site—turning fallen leaves, stones, and soil into temporary monuments of peace.
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Sun-Printed Narratives: Hands-on cyanotype workshops that harness the Jersey City sun to capture the delicate silhouettes of local flora and found poetry, creating blue-inked blueprints of our shared environment.
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Curated Explorations: Immersive guided tours led by Poet Laureate Melida Rodas, Dawn Giambalvo and guest visionaries, bridging the sacred gap between our historic urban landmarks and our digital future.
The Interactive Poetry Garden
A Living Archive:
A Multi-sensory
Return to
The Land.
Illuminating the Future
Our current interventions serve as the blueprint for our upcoming feature at the International COLOR & LIGHT Festival in NJ. We are scaling our "Living Archive" to bridge the gap between architectural light, literacy, and global ecological solidarity.
Jersey City, NJ, USA
The Green Space Team:
Dawn Giambalvo
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City of Jersey City Department of Parks and Recreation
Students Advisory Board
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McNair Academic High School
Youth Poetry Ambassadors
JC Middle School
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Maya Rosalsky
High Tech High School
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Students from Waldo International School : Poetry Lab
The Root & The Reach: A Note from Melida Rodas
I grew up between two worlds: the sun-drenched orchards of St. Augustine and the verdant, mist-covered rainforests of Guatemala. In my youth I was watched over by violet-veiled volcanoes—those silent ancestors of ash and amethyst who hold the world’s oldest memories. My Mayan roots taught me that the land is not a backdrop; it is a sacred relative. This ancestral wisdom is the foundation for REED IPG, located here in Jersey City—the second-most populous city in New Jersey and consistently ranked as one of the most diverse communities in the nation. In this crossroads of the world, we are witnessing the seasons shift. As Jersey City winters grow quiet and southern heat moves north, REED responds with a Cultural Return. We merge the high-level production rigor of stage and screen with indigenous knowledge to build a multisensory language of hope. Through spatial soundscapes, tactile Braille poetry, and biodegradable mandalas created with students from Waldo, McNair, and High Tech High, we are practicing Urban Eco-Literacy. We do not just document a changing climate; we help our community heal. We prove that in the heart of the urban landscape, art is our most advanced technology for restoration. We respond with wonder. We respond with art. We respond together. Melida Rodas Poet Laureate of Jersey City
Interactive Digital Anthology
POEMS & SOUNDSCAPE
Issue no. 1
🔊 Sound: Enable custom soundscape by: Melida Rodas
↔️ Interact: Tap the arrows for an Interactive Flip Experience
⛶ Full Screen: Click the expand icon for the most immersive view.
The Vibration of Change
In nature, a "buzz" is the sound of pollination—the vital spread of life from one source to another. This is how the mission of REED IPG is taking root in the streets of Jersey City and echoing across the landscape of modern art and activism.
Below are our collaborators and the fruit of our collective work.
Listen. Read. Enjoy.
BUZZ:
Music in Harmony
with Nature
The
Jersey
City
Poetry
Festival
Your work will be considered for
The Jersey City Poetry Festival 2026
Location: Museum of Jersey City History
2025
FULL EXPERIENCE CLICK HERE !
Jersey City Landmark: The Apple Tree House
Costal Landmark: The Paramount Theater
Color &
Light Festival
Your work will be considered for
The International
Color and Light Festival 2026
Location: Asbury Park
Our InterActive Poetry Garden Cultural Partners
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Collaborators
Ancestry. Artistry. Agency.
This project pilot is led by Poet Laureate, interdisciplinary artist, and educator Melida Rodas, and developed through a collaborative ecosystem of innovators spanning art, music, education, storytelling and community practice.
On Site
