About Me & This Platform
I can offer knowledge in:
urban and regenerative agriculture
biophilic + intuitive design
social and behavioral patterns
sustainable transportation
repurposed architecture & art
immigrant community
utilizing existing resources
My name is Mimi, short for Margarita!
I’m currently in the DC Metro area — but my path curves a bit:
— Grew up in the DMV my whole life, with deep and familiar immigrant roots.
— Spent four months immersed in Chicago, learning complex urban dynamics.
— Drifted west for 2½ years in Moab, UT, where red rock taught me patience ad strong community.
— Now relocating to Washington, carrying pieces of each place with me.
Back in August 2023, as I was living out of an apartment in Edgewater, the bright city that surrounded me inspired me to personally and professionally explore the intricate systems that make up a place — natural environment, built environment, and culture.
Chicago had its own set of ever-evolving characteristics, as did other communities I had visited like Kamloops, British Columbia. And though vastly different demographics and ecosystems, there is always some sliver of connection between places, some example to borrow — a cool business, an innovative way to combat natural hazards, a social club. This is where I aim to tell stories and highlight challenges and positive solutions in the world —
the links between the elements.
When asked about my career experience, it’s hard to encapsulate — organic farming, writing federal environmental impact statements, co-authoring a grant that won $200,000, running community events, conservation fieldwork in desert and forest landscapes, and designing and assessing stormwater landscapes.
Throughout it all, one pillar remained at the forefront professionally and personally — building a more resilient environment & community.
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Mosses are the oldest living land plants on earth, having evolved for 450 million years. Modern homo sapiens have existed on earth for approximately 300,000 years. The stark development and complex practices of our species has really evolved in the last few centuries. Our modern world is a fusion of natural world with the human realm largely driven by technology and culture. If looking at a ruler on the geologic time scale, our time on earth could appear almost as if a glitch.
Glitch in the Moss is a project that approaches ecology, urban planning, and equity from a new angle, exploring connections that are not immediately obvious. It’s the platform of informed perspectives that blends artistic and scientific exploration of ecology, urban planning, and culture through a geographic lens.
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Glitch in the Moss aims to tell an interdisciplinary story that connects the natural environment and processes, the human cultural experience, and the built landscapes that are planned and engineered to support resilience.
Together, we’ll explore challenges and strengths across landscapes, highlighting similarities and differences between communities, and navigate planning for more dynamic and resilient urban ecosystems. By focusing on similarities between seemingly unrelated places, the hope is to strengthen pattern recognition in planning and increase applicability of case studies.
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Growing up in the suburbs of D.C., I had the fortune of enjoying leisurely glimpses into domestic and international landscapes that each offer their own unique blend of culture and environment.
From a young age, my immigrant parents exposed me to the beauty and serenity that North America has to offer. Whether pre-disposed or instilled, I’ve carried this stewardship for the natural world throughout my life.
Something about cities always intrigued me. How the built environment interacts with its geography and ecology, accounts for human (socioeconomic and cultural) needs, and continuously evolves into its own distinct amalgam.
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Curiosity, exploration, independence.
Building understanding of not only myself and my relation to completely different communities, but observing the drivers and strengths of these places. They’re more alike than you might think.
I’m here to tell a story of the surprising similarities of these two seemingly opposite worlds. For life and progress in society are strongest when we can learn from each other.
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Maybe to some. But a good, intentionally-designed landscape (indoors or outdoors) can serve both ecological benefits and setup for successful human living — work, play, health, community.
