07/01/2026
In the thick of the summer heat, we made our way to Newtown Creek to say hello to some parts unknown (by many), guided by lisa bloodgood, a venerable creek steward, cultivator, ecologist and pollinator of possibility.
We were amazed as always by the wild patches where life is abundant in spite, and sometimes because, of the unique ecology here.
Notoriously one of the most polluted places in the country, Newtown Creek feels like looking into the past, present and future all at once.
Nowhere is that more apparent than on top of Kingsland Wildflowers pollinator rooftop, on the banks of the creek between Allocco recycling plant and the NYC Water Egg Digester Waste Water Recovery Plant.
After meeting Lisa and a beautiful walk through Smiling Hogshead Ranch and beyond, we made our way to Kingsland Wildflowers via Sol Kjøk who runs Noosphere Arts and Last Frontier NYC. A visionary able to multitask the multiverse, we felt a kindred alignment immediately in vision and action.
We were joined by artists Jack Kalish and Rachel Ciaverella of Everything Good Studio who are creating an immersive piece in relationship to the creek for our program in September.
On the way up to the roof, we stopped to say hi at Newtown Creek Alliance alliance, who has its field station headquarters there and manages the pollinator garden. Woot!
More on all these extraordinary collaborators and the work they do in the coming months….
But for now, a deep bow to the creek itself- to the water that mirrors this city’s deep care and continuing disrepair on the daily.
Water is life, and ever so here - the wild, hard, complicated, beautiful, dangerous, devastating & delicate fullness of what it means to live in this world.
