NYC Green Infrastructure virtual tour 2013

New York City GI Tour 2013

A field trip to showcase innovative Green infrastructure that incorporate art, education and public notification

Photo courtesy of Edgar Freud, 2013

Shoelace ParkThis rain garden, one of NYC DEP’s investment in green infrastructure pilot project which redirects stormwater from the combined sewer system into a series of rain gardens in the park ($1.1 million). Before, stormwater from 224th St. and Bronx Blvd flowed into drain inlets by the curb and then into New York City’s sewer system. Now, stormwater is re-directed into the drain inlets and conveyed into a series of green infrastructure practices in Shoelace Park. These practices remove pollutants and help reduce the burden on the sewer system. Excess water in the bioretention area can safely overflow into the Bronx River through an outlet pipe. This project helps to keep the Bronx River clean for everyone’s enjoyment. In addition, surface runoff from the path flows into a vegetated swale and is directed towards a central stone overflow channel. A hydrodynamic separator traps sediment and removes oils from the water. Most flows are then directed to a bioretention area; large flows go to the sewer system.

Photo courtesy of Juan Zapata Jr., 2013

Bioswale and central stone overflow channel


The GI tour group standing on part of the subwatershed


Curb influence to direct runoff to the bioswale

Photo courtesy of Len Meniace., 2013

The bioswale and stone channel


The stone overflow channel and emergency overflow to the sewer system


Continuation of the stone channel directed treated rainwater to the Bronx RIver


Downspout diversion of roofwater to the planters with water level and overflow calibration for the planters


Pipe inflow and overflow to and from the wetland planters

Photo courtesy of Gil Lopez, 2013

The GI tour group


Fall view of the native wetland species in the planters


Wetland planters and community space


View of the planters with the mural

Photo courtesy of Eric Thomann, 2013

WATERWASH at ABC CarpetWATERWASH ABC is one of several permanent public wetland parks by Lillian Ball, and is a concept that can be adapted to coastal situations worldwide. The Bronx River project construction was completed in 2011 by a cooperative team of engineers, scientists, and excavators with Ball as visual and managerial coordinator. Job skills trainees from Rocking the Boat, a local nonprofit that teaches kids to build wooden boats and do environmental work on the river, planted over 10,000 indigenous plants to transform the landfill site. As the native plantings mature, WATERWASH offers extensive educational outreach opportunities to demonstrate the ways this wetland acts as natural buffer for sea level rise, while improving water quality, and creating wildlife habitat. WATERWASH ABC filters commercial parking lot stormwater runoff before it enters the river, opens private property to pubic use, and was funded by the NY State Attorney General’s Office with fines collected from polluters to the river.www.waterwash.org


Recycled glass permeable walkway at ABC Carpet and Home warehouse


View of the planted native vegetation surrounding the constructed wetland adjacent to the Bronx River


Boaters enjoying the view of the native wetland park


Another view of the wetland park beside the Bronx RIver


Wildlife habitat at WATERWASH ABC

Photo courtesy of Gil Lopez, 2013Photo courtesy of Gil Lopez, 2013

Beautiful fall vegetation in the wetland park

Photo courtesy of Edgar Freud, 2013

Queens College Rain GardenQueens College, the recipient of a $386,000 grant as part of DEP's Green Infrastructure Grant Program, has rebuilt three different areas of their campus in order to direct stormwater to permeable pavers and rain gardens. The green infrastructure will capture stormwater and allow it to be naturally absorbed into the ground thereby keeping nearly 900,000 gallons of stormwater out of the combined sewer system. Queens College provided more than $150,000 in matching funds for the project.


Permeable pavers


Rain garden and permeable pavement walkway


Permeable pavement demonstration


Rain garden enhanced with a stone infiltration border


Rain garden with a stone infiltration border


Smiling Hogshead RanchSmiling Hogshead Ranch is a volunteer run, community farm in LIC, Queens. Founded as a guerrilla garden in 2011, a dozen co-conspirators have grown crops, planted fruit & nut trees, begun an informal mycoremediation project and became an official Community Composting Project in Queens. All this has been done without the blessing of the property owner. This Winter we will solidify an agreement with the owner and expand our operations in 2014 and beyond. http://smiling-hogshead-ranch.tumblr.com/Gil Lopez holds a degree in Landscape Architecture and a Permaculture Design Certificate. He teaches a Greenroof class at CUNY City Tech, installs urban landscapes with Future Green Studio, is the Garden & Compost Assistant with Queens Library and helped found Smiling Hogshead Ranch.


http://smiling-hogshead-ranch.tumblr.com/

http://smiling-hogshead-ranch.tumblr.com/

The GI tour at Smiling Hogshead Ranch


Milkweeds and other great natives


Rain barrel for irrigation


Nature’s beauty expressed!


The abandoned rail line that sparked the inspiration


A tour participant enjoying the compost tumbler

Photo courtesy of Eric Thomann, 2013

Our beautiful walk on the abandoned rail line


NYC Green Infrastructure virtual tour 2013

Education

Transcript of NYC Green Infrastructure virtual tour 2013