'BROWNFIELDLANDIA'

'BROWNFIELDLANDIA'

As part of an ongoing collaboration, artists Kathy High and Oliver Kellhammer will embark on an investigation of Troy New York's former industrial lands - areas often referred to as brownfields or ruderal ecologies (from the Latin ‘rudus’ meaning ‘ruin’.)

Far from being abject places defined only by their abandonment, these zones are sites of novel ecological processes and vibrant new assemblages, adaptations and agencies, where nature is rapidly evolving to colonize the debris and disturbance our species has left behind.

Using methodologies of field research and the bio-lab, industrial archeology, documentary filmmaking and permaculture, the artists will delve into the fascinating world of ruderal Troy, observing and cataloging as well as developing locally appropriate strategies for its decontamination and reintegration into the human life of the city.

(Some Details)

We will tour 'emergent forests' where native and exotic trees co-mingle as they break up pavement and concrete, observe birds and insects for whom ruined factories and overgrown parking lots stand in for cliffs and savannah habitats and go bio-prospecting for 'hyperaccumulators' - plants and other organisms that absorb toxins such as heavy metals and hydrocarbons from their environment. Back at the 'L' lot, our plan is to uncover and record layers of deposition and disturbance to further our understanding of the history of the land as well as experiment with cover crops and mycelial mulches as potential strategies for detoxifying polluted soil.

This work is made possible by the NatureLab initiative of the Sanctuary for Independent Media in North Troy, New York. Stay tuned for more detailed information on dates for public workshops and guided field explorations.

More info HERE

BLOG POSTING on this and my subsequent excursions to the brownfield habitats along Portland's Williamette River.