On a drizzly late-September morning in New York City, we set out for a unique coffee adventure. Our destination was the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in the Meatpacking District—a neighborhood known for its cobblestone streets, high-end boutiques, art galleries, and vibrant nightlife. Located on the west side of Manhattan, this area is filled with character and charm. We’d visited the Roastery at the Empire State Building before, but this location had a whole new energy.
As we stepped out of the subway and walked toward the Roastery, the misty morning air only added to the sense of discovery. Outside the Roastery, we were greeted by a stunning sight—a line of life-sized elephants, each carefully crafted from invasive lantana camara weeds.
These were not ordinary statues; they were part of “The Great Elephant Migration,” a project created by The Coexistence Collective to raise awareness about human-wildlife coexistence.
These remarkable sculptures represent 100 Indian elephants, symbolizing the real elephants living in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiri Hills in India, where indigenous communities share their space with some of the densest elephant populations on Earth. The intricate craftsmanship gives each elephant its own personality, honoring the spirit of individual elephants from these communities.
Standing beside these life-sized sculptures felt surreal, especially in the urban heart of New York City. Each elephant had been painstakingly constructed from lantana, one of the world’s most invasive plant species, which made the exhibit spanning multiple blocks not only visually impactful but also environmentally conscious. The message was clear: coexistence and conservation can start with something as simple as sharing space.
If you’re inspired by these elephants, you can actually adopt one! Supporting this project helps raise awareness for a critical cause, and it’s a beautiful way to take a piece of this mission home. If you didn’t get a chance to see them while they were in New York City, you can follow their ongoing migration through Florida, Texas, Montana, Wyoming, and California (dates and details here). It’s a moving reminder of how connected we all are to wildlife, even in the middle of a bustling city.
For more details, you can visit The Coexistence Collective’s website to learn more about the project and how to adopt an elephant sculpture. You can also follow them on social media to stay updated on this inspiring cause:
This experience added a beautiful, unexpected highlight to our NYC coffee adventure in the Meatpacking District, and I hope you can find them in a city near you soon!
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