HighWaterLine

More pictures

These are courtesy of The Canary Project, from the first day out…

So many starfish on the beach…

So after a few changes in team line up, I was joined today by my husband, Gavin, and later on by Dave Enders (a journalist with a rather storied background) and his friend.

We laid down some of the longest single lines yet - one went about 8 blocks, an another went over half a mile. Again, we met some really great people while out drawing the line, but since my camera batteries died, I don’t have any images

The first gentleman that we spoke to was looking at me with a look best described as consternation. Clearly he had some concerns about what I was doing. I waved at him and said hi, and walked over to the patio where he was standing. “We are marking what could be a new coastline for Brooklyn. It’s a line that I am drawing all around the entire coast of Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan, showing the area that could suffer from frequent flooding due to climate change.” His look softened a bit and he started asking questions. I pointed at his toddler and talked about the importance of acting now in order to preserve the future for his son. I think he was starting to get it. I explained that there was a lot of information in the action packet that I handed him and encouraged him to read through it, and if he wanted more information, he could visit the website. Finally, looking stern again, he asked if the line I drew was permanent - I laughed and said certainly not! It’s just field chalk and eco-friendly pigment, what doesn’t blow away from the traffic, will wash away in the rain.

We had people stopping in their cars to ask about the project - but my favorite was the group on 104th street. One guy asked what I was doing and I started explaining - he shouted to his wife back in the house to come over and see and talk to me. Then the neighbor, who had been arguing with another neighbor about who was at fault for a minor car incident they just had, stopped arguing and they both came over to hear what I was saying. Then two more came quickly from down the street - wanting to know first if we were going to be digging, and then when I explained they were all interested in knowing what would flood when and why and what they could do about it - what a great group of interested community members - I loved it! It should be noted that after I left the argument about the car incident continued…

When Dave joined me he asked me lots of questions about the line, and how the ideas came to me and so forth. Then we met a guy with his 4 year old daughter who we got to talk to for a while about the project and the flooding. He was genuinely concerned and wanted to know what to do. He mentioned that when the tsunami hit, he looked out his window at Fresh Kills Creek and wondered if it could flood (it could), so he was really glad to have the information.

Our final interaction was with a couple of NYPD out on patrol. They stopped to ask what I was doing, which I told them (public art project marking the new coastline, point is to engage communities, blah blah - you’ve heard it before) and they just wanted to make sure that I wasn’t out late or on my own since some of the areas could be a bit dangerous. I thought that was really nice!

So it was, yet another great day. I wish everyone reading this blog could be there with me along the way. It is such a fun project to do and the part that I kept saying was really important - the part about engaging the public - that really is the best and most wonderful part. I really enjoy talking to all the different people and love the variety of responses. I just hope that I have made a difference for a few (if not all) of them. (You know it is so much like the starfish story…)

Rain Delay…

It was bound to happen, but really it works out for the best. We had some changeable weather, and some of the people who were going to walk with me were unavailable at the last minute, so I will be drawing the last of the first sector tomorrow (Sunday, 5/20). It will also be some of the longest lines covering the shortest distance, the first weekend day and in the densest residential area yet. I hope to get to meet some interesting people and get a chance to talk to a lot of people about the project and climate change…

High Water Line edges into Canarsie

Today I was out on my own (hopefully that will be the only time - it’s much better to have people join me on the walk!) as the High Water Line dipped into Canarsie.

I started where I left off yesterday in Spring Creek. The line went past a water pollution treatment plant today - I don’t think flooding a sewage plant is a good thing. It then carried on past Spring Creek Village (Starret City) before rounding Fresh Creek and starting its route through the heart of East Canarsie.

I just started the line in East Canarsie - this Saturday (tomorrow) I will be out with some friends to draw from 107th street and Avenue J down to Seaview and Rockaway Parkway. We are going to start early to hope to miss the rain.

I definitely dodged the rain today, and was even able to mix up loads more chalk and pigment for tomorrows walk. I got some pictures, I will upload them in just a bit!

Oh! And if you are on Court & Atlantic area this weekend, grab a few copies of the Brooklyn Heights Courier - High Water Line is on the cover! Grab a couple of extra copies for me!

And we’re off!

Wow! What an exciting day. I can’t honestly say that I was expecting it to be as interesting a day as it was!

We started out early, picking up materials from storage and getting bits and pieces organized. Then headed out to the borderlands. I had Ed & Susannah from the Canary Project in tow. Susannah was there to do some documenting - and ended up going around to meet the workers at the Postal Depot, the MTA bus repair station and finally the DEP in search of a wrench to help attach the handle to the marker.

I mixed up some pigment and chalk (still looking for a small workspace to store and mix the chalk if anyone has anything in mind!), filled up the hopper and off we went! Laying down that first strip of blue line was such a great feeling! Finally there were tracks on the ground, a concrete (well chalk really) reality of the project. It was beautiful - it almost glowed out there on the pavement!

We were in a pretty industrial neighborhood, so didn’t run into too many people. Got some sidelong glances from drivers (particularly the street cleaners!) but not a lot of opportunity for conversation. At one point the line crossed in front of a huge paper recycling center. We thought that was pretty serendipitous.

Finally we walked past a couple of gentlemen standing in front of their workshop. They asked what I was doing - which I gladly explained and we handed over some Action Packets. They were fascinated by the project, and wanted to know where I would end up at the end of the summer (Greenpoint). They both posed with the packets and we went along our way.

A couple of streets farther we ran into a couple more guys and had a good chat (and some photos) with them as well. At the end of the line for today, we went through a little residential section. A gentleman from a second floor window asked what company we were with (it does look a little like a waterworks project). I explained the project to him (his house would get flooded) and he was genuinely concerned, but relieved that he was on the second floor…

Ed & Susannah took over 100 pictures, so there are bound to be some great ones in there. I will definitely post some as soon as I get them, but they are really busy with the Increase Your Albedo project - which if you can’t get out to Canarsie this weekend, definitely get over to the Meat Packing district to see!

If you have some time tomorrow (Friday) or this weekend, come out and join me - it is a really powerful and fabulous experience!

Learning and growing

I had a couple of really informative meetings last week with the Regional Park Managers for big swathes of land in South Brooklyn. Talking with and even learning about the existence of the Regional Managers helps to comprehend the incredible intricacies involved in the running of our huge crazy city. One of these managers handles all of the beaches in Coney Island. I hadn’t even thought about those as parks! They both handle all of the city parks and playgrounds in their region as well as greenways and the greenstreets, trust me these guys have a lot on which they are working.

I also am gearing up for the launch - this Thursday! The mayors are in town today for the opening of the C40, and as they wrap up on Thursday, I will be starting out. I don’t currently have anyone joining me, but I hope that changes over the week.

I also am looking for a space in which to store and mix the chalk and pigments, if anyone has a loading dock and a little space they don’t mind getting dirty, let me know - I moved 3,000 pounds of chalk into my storage space for the time being.

I will start out in Spring Creek on Thursday morning, so let me know if you are interested in joining me!

Coney Island image courtesy of Trevor Little, Eastern Parkway image courtesy of Brownstoner.com.

The road less traveled

I have complete the mapping of the path. I am choosing to do an actual tracing of the topographic line as opposed to following the street grid.
Here is the map: CommunityWalk Map - HighWaterLine - NYC