Resisting Displacement and Dispossession
Mobile Workshop:
Industrial Soils Will Save Us All
A workshop led by the Newtown Creek Alliance
Gowanus
Industrial zone soils and sediments are a repository for human impacts and an undervalued component of urban ecosystems. The Newtown Creek, the center of NYC’s largest Significant Maritime and Industrial Area, an ~140 acre Superfund site, and a NYS-designated Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA), provides an extreme example of urban soil impairment. This workshop highlights the efforts of local actors working to understand the ecologic and microbial potential of soils subjected to historic and ongoing contamination, leveraging this knowledge to revitalize Newtown Creek. One of the many unique aspects of Newtown Creek is the consensus among stakeholders to address the environmental health and access challenges of this area for the benefit of a dynamic working waterfront, and not as a stepping stone to residential development, which is more often the norm.
Itinerary
We will leave from the conference together at 12:30
Kingsland Ave. Wildflower Green Roof with views of the Newtown Creek WPCP and surrounds - Intro from Newtown Creek Alliance (Willis Elkins)
North Henry Street Ends - Implementation of the Newtown Creek BOA and ongoing restoration work (Kate Zidar and Damion Lawyer)
Cross the creek at Greenpoint Ave Bridge
Guerrilla Mycoremediation at Dutch Kills tributary (Gil Lopez)
Last stop, Smiling Hogshead Ranch for the Fungi Festival: A Summer Celebration of the Mushroom, and closing party for Salt Tree Art collective’s “MycoRise”
Participants may return, or stay and party! Hogshead is walking distance to Court Square MTA station.
Note:
This is a walking tour through an industrial area. Please prepare for variable conditions by wearing sturdy shoes and bringing water and sun protection (hats, long sleeves, SPF, etc.). Otherwise, travel light! Total walking distance will be abt 3 miles.
Newtown Creek Alliance
We work to restore community health, water quality, habitat, access, and vibrant commerce along Newtown Creek. Since 2002, the Alliance has served as a catalyst for effective community action. Our efforts have made a positive and enduring impact on the health and quality of life of Creek-side communities.
The following mobile workshop will be led by:
Kate Zidar, Environmental Planners
Damion Lawyer, Bioremediation Superfan