Art Reimagines Polluted Waterway as Public Nature Walk
TL;DR
- Environmental artist George Trakas transformed a heavily polluted industrial waterway into a public nature walk, demonstrating art's capacity to reclaim and reimagine degraded urban spaces for community use.
- Trakas's nature walk integrates ancient geological elements and modern industrial recycling processes, fostering a unique temporal perspective that connects deep time with contemporary urban life.
- The project leveraged a public art mandate tied to wastewater plant upgrades, illustrating how regulatory funding can drive significant, long-term environmental and community improvements.
- The nature walk's design incorporates fragrant plants to mask industrial odors, showcasing a practical artistic strategy for improving the sensory experience of polluted environments.
- Trakas's work on Newtown Creek inspired other artists to explore the site's complex history and ecological state, generating further creative engagement with urban environmental issues.
- An audio guide project by artists Marina Zurkow and Nick Hubbard further layered historical and personal narratives onto the nature walk, deepening visitor connection to the site's past and present.
Deep Dive
George Trakas's artistic vision transformed a heavily polluted industrial waterway, Newtown Creek, into a public nature walk, demonstrating how art can reframe neglected urban spaces and foster a connection with nature and deep time. This initiative, funded by a wastewater plant upgrade, not only created a unique recreational area but also inspired further artistic exploration of the creek's complex history and ecological state, revealing hidden layers of human and geological time.
The implications of Trakas's work extend beyond mere beautification. By repurposing industrial concrete and creating a walkway around the wastewater plant, he made the often-overlooked processes of urban infrastructure, like recycling, visible and engaging for the public. This "process art" encourages contemplation of modern industries and their environmental impact, transforming what might be seen as blight into an educational spectacle for children and adults alike. Furthermore, the integration of ancient elements--Ginkgo trees, 385-million-year-old marine fossils, and 3.4-billion-year-old rock--into the nature walk serves as a powerful metaphor for deep time. This deliberate juxtaposition with the creek's industrial present invites visitors to consider geological epochs alongside human history, challenging conventional perceptions of time and place. The imprint of bare feet and moon boots on the concrete fountain explicitly bridges the gap between indigenous history and human achievement, underscoring the continuous unfolding of human experience on the landscape.
The lasting impact of Trakas's project is evident in the subsequent artistic engagement with Newtown Creek, such as the audio guide created by Marina Zurkow, Rebecca Lieberman, and Nick Hubbard. This second-order artistic response highlights Trakas's success in creating a framework that "holds" multiple narratives and encourages deeper exploration. Hubbard's personal discovery of his family's ties to the creek's industrial past, directly linked to the pollution Trakas's art confronts, illustrates how the nature walk can serve as a catalyst for individual connection to historical and environmental issues. Ultimately, Trakas's nature walk demonstrates that even severely degraded environments can become sites for profound engagement with nature, history, and the human place within them, fostering a sense of stewardship and wonder in unexpected urban locales.
Action Items
- Audit Newtown Creek's industrial history: Identify 5-10 key pollution sources and their historical impact (ref: EPA Superfund site).
- Design public art installation: Incorporate 3-5 elements reflecting deep time and ecological transformation (ref: George Trakas's nature walk).
- Create educational materials: Develop 2-3 modules explaining the intersection of personal history and environmental impact (ref: Nick Hubbard's family ties).
- Measure public engagement: Track 5-10 metrics for nature walk usage and community interaction (ref: Joggers, families with strollers).
- Develop audio guide: Integrate 3-5 historical layers and sensory experiences for Newtown Creek (ref: Marina Zurkow's audio walk).
Key Quotes
"so this whole area that we're in was originally swamp and all these inlets in here are probably all kinds of clams and oysters and sea heather and all kinds of stuff so i have a feeling that this area will be well used people sitting talking picnicking fishing kayaking whatever we'll clean all this stuff up"
George Traks, an artist, envisioned the potential for Newtown Creek to be a place for recreation and nature, despite its current polluted state. Traks believed that with effort, the area could be cleaned up and enjoyed by the public for various activities. This quote highlights his optimistic and forward-thinking perspective on transforming the industrial waterway.
"the city's wastewater plant the one located at the creek got funding for a major upgrade and part of that money by law had to be earmarked for a public art project which i just got to say is a really great law so the city put out a call for proposals and of course george raised his hand"
The narrator points out a beneficial legal requirement that mandated a portion of funding for a wastewater plant upgrade be allocated to a public art project. This provided an opportunity for George Traks to propose his vision for the Newtown Creek Nature Walk. The narrator expresses approval of this law, recognizing its positive impact on public spaces.
"he sketches out an idea to take the industrial concrete area surrounding the creek and transform it into a nature walk a public walkway filled with trees and plants and installations all with a view of beautiful polluted newtown creek and he won"
The author explains George Traks's winning proposal for the Newtown Creek Nature Walk. Traks's concept involved redeveloping the concrete industrial zones around the creek into a public space featuring natural elements and art installations. This quote emphasizes the transformative nature of his artistic vision for the polluted waterway.
"george is fascinated with the idea of deep time how time unfolds and overlaps so along the nature path he planted ginkgo trees one of the most ancient tree species on the planet a species that predates the dinosaurs and in another part of the walk you'll find marine fossils embedded in the path they're 385 million years old"
The narrator describes how George Traks incorporated elements of deep time into his nature walk design. Traks included ancient ginkgo trees and 385-million-year-old marine fossils within the path. This demonstrates Traks's intention to connect visitors with the vast geological history of the Earth.
"i was a little bit i think taken aback by just kind of the beauty of the creek at those sort of early phases when it meets the east river you see marine life the birds there sunset at that part even the sounds across the way from that park you see this car compacting site that's the recycling site that george wanted to make sure people saw when they visited the creek"
Marina Zurkow, an environmental artist, shares her initial impressions of Newtown Creek, noting its unexpected beauty. Zurkow observed marine life, birds, and sunsets, and also acknowledged the presence of the industrial recycling site, which George Traks intended for visitors to see. This quote illustrates the coexistence of natural elements and industrial activity at the creek.
"i started to become personally interested in my own family history just happened to start discovering that i had my own ties to the creek and i had learned that actually my family had lived in new york lived on the creek and that one of my ancestors had worked in one of these um factories it was a glue factory so it produced you know horrific smells toxic you know waste that then has like all accumulated to lead to this"
Nick Hubbard, an artist and former student of Marina Zurkow, recounts his personal discovery of family connections to Newtown Creek. Hubbard found that his ancestors lived and worked in factories along the creek, contributing to its pollution. This quote reveals how his research into the creek's history led to a profound personal connection and understanding of its past.
Resources
External Resources
Books
- "Basin and Range" by John McPhee - Referenced for a quote about freeing oneself from the conventional reaction to vast quantities of time.
Videos & Documentaries
- Video from 1999 - Features George Trakas launching a homemade boat into Newtown Creek.
- Video from 2021 made by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection - Shows George Trakas giving a tour of his nature walk.
Articles & Papers
- "Newtown Creek Nature Walk (Classic)" (Atlas Obscura) - The episode itself, discussing George Trakas's art installation.
People
- George Trakas - Artist and environmental sculptor who created the Newtown Creek Nature Walk.
- Johanna Mayor - Host of the Atlas Obscura podcast.
- Marina Zurkow - Environmental artist who worked on an audio guide for Newtown Creek.
- Rebecca Lieberman - Artist who collaborated on an audio guide for Newtown Creek.
- Nick Hubbard - Artist and teacher who collaborated on an audio guide for Newtown Creek and discovered family ties to the creek.
- Keith Rodan - Creator of the 1999 video of George Trakas.
- Ted Danson - Host of the podcast "Where Everybody Knows Your Name."
- Jason Manzukas - Guest on "Where Everybody Knows Your Name."
- Woody Harrelson - Guest on "Where Everybody Knows Your Name."
Organizations & Institutions
- New York City Department of Environmental Protection - Produced a video tour of George Trakas's nature walk.
- Atlas Obscura - Production company for the podcast.
- Witness Docs - Production company for the podcast.
- Stitcher - Platform where "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" can be found.
Websites & Online Resources
- newtowncreekfieldguide.com - Location to listen to Marina Zurkow, Nick Hubbard, and Rebecca Lieberman's audio guide.
- atlasobscura.com - Website for more information about the podcast.
- tiktok.com - Platform for advertising and business growth.
- getstarted.tiktok.com - URL for TikTok for Business.
- dsw.com - Website for DSW shoe store.
Other Resources
- Newtown Creek Nature Walk - An art installation and public walkway created by George Trakas.
- Fragrance Garden - Part of the nature walk designed with fragrant plants.
- Ginkgo trees - Planted along the nature walk as an ancient tree species.
- Marine fossils - Embedded in the nature walk path, dating back 385 million years.
- Waterfall made of stone - An installation at the end of the nature walk using 3.4 billion-year-old rock.
- Experimental audio guide to the Newtown Creek Nature Walk - Created by Marina Zurkow, Nick Hubbard, and Rebecca Lieberman.
- "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" - A podcast hosted by Ted Danson.
- "A Man on the Inside" - A show mentioned by Ted Danson.