Buried Indigenous Seed Capsules

On sidewalks in Seattle’s Ravenna and University District neighborhoods, curious medallions are embedded in the pavement. Each marks a buried capsule containing Indigenous seeds, huckleberry, red cedar, and others, sealed underground as tiny arks of memory and renewal. Fifteen cast aluminium markers show locations of buried seed capsules.

Part public art, part ecological gesture, the capsules are part of Mark Brest van Kempen’s Ravenna Creek Drop project, which traces the path of Ravenna Creek as it flows under the streets and sidewalks of the city. The capsules are designed to break and scatter seeds during any future construction, keeping the life of these native plants connected to the land. Their quiet presence invites passersby to imagine what might take root beneath their feet, and what stories those seeds carry forward.