03/31/2026
📅 Timeline Tuesday
Then: If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? This is a popular thought experiment around perception… but what if plant life actually did make sounds? What would it sound like? How would you perceive it? Treequencies (2023) was an art installation undertaken by Jason “The Real” McKoy and staff from UpstreamPgh, with help from Junior Green Corps members.
Treequencies was about tuning in to the spirit of Fern Hollow. Passersby were invited to place their hands on a sculptural “Plantenna,” made of repurposed tree limbs, paracord, rope, cement, theremins, and up-cycled/found materials to find the point of connection to the flora of Fern Hollow. These Treequencies were placed in Frick Park, and in the Wilkinsburg business district, often along the sidewalk near a local business.
Why it mattered: The power of art to inspire environmental action, takes us back to our roots and the Nine Mile Run Greenway Project in the 1990s. As a part of UpstreamPgh’s continued effort to restore Fern Hollow, we work alongside artists like Jason McKoy, and others to engage and connect the community to our visioning process. As we continue to work on the Restore Fern Hollow & Ripple plans for the watershed, art and artist collaborations allow us to get creative and have some fun with community engagement!
Now: This April, we’re sending our fans on a scavenger hunt! We’ve teamed up with local artist/ ceramicist Angie Benson to create 25 ceramic figurines that celebrate our local native species. Check our Instagram feed and stories daily for clues, then strike out into nature for a chance to find your very own piece of art celebrating UpstreamPgh’s 25th anniversary! 🦋🦉🌼
