The Newark Waterfront was not the type of thing that
childhood memories were made of. There
were no stories of happy families soaking up the sun on fishing trips or exuberant
screams of children floating down the Passaic River on inner tubes. Instead, the murmurs you did hear were whispered
in dark alleyways. Tales of industrial
piers, sewer overflow events, erosion, flooding, and pollution that would scare
the likes of the Toxic Avenger to greener pastures. In fact, fishing advisories have been in
place since 1984. As things got worse,
even the businesses had to move away. In the end, there was nothing more than
weed-filled vacant lots where squatters in the shape of automobiles found
permanent homes. It was the end of a dark
era, and just like after many endings – a rebirth begins.
In 1999, The City of Newark announced plans that would make
this 3-mile stretch of waterfront the largest Superfund cleanup of its
time. Occurring in stages, the new
municipal park would boast 6,000 linear feet of reconstructed bulkhead. Highlights of the park would also include
athletic fields, an amphitheater, walking trails and overlooks. The new design
would even bring back access to the water.
Most impressive though was the decision to manage this urban oasis with
an environmental hand and adorn it with native plantings.
When thinking of urban plantings, the mind immediately
focuses on the many obstacles at hand.
One such issue is abutment plantings with high water energy and strong
winds. There is also exhaust, road salt
and mechanical interference that work against the overall goal. The cherry on top is the one interaction that
gets overlooked most often - human interaction.
It would be easy to say that the solution should be urban hardy plant
selections. These are trees from all
walks of life that have been bred and cloned to take the advantage away from
mother nature, and stand the test of time, much like the chemicals that once
made the waterfront their home. Instead,
native plants were chosen to provide resilience. Native plants can be found performing their
natural functions along many of the waterways in New Jersey. When utilized properly, they help improve the
quality of these bodies of water creating gathering places for families to fish
and swim. These indigenous plants will
help to forge a strong connection with the humans that inhabit the park which
had been void for decades.
James Corner Field Operations envisioned a staggered
triangular planting pattern when they designed the project and only the right
contractor could bring this idea to life.
Enter Wetlands Incorporated. This
Woman-Owned-Business, who calls the northern part of New Jersey home, would accept
the task of planting over 14,000 native perennials into flush curb planters
along the water and in the area where the amphitheater will be built. There was no doubt in their minds who they
would turn to for the NJDEP approved native plant list. “Pinelands Nursery is the go to nursery for
native plants,” says Angelo LoCascio, Operations Manager with Wetlands
Incorporated. “They do a fantastic
job. We always trust them with projects
of this magnitude and their prices are very competitive.” With the help of drip irrigation and quality
material the plantings are performing superbly – and just in time. In this era of social distancing, you can
never get too close to nature. Just make sure to share those picture perfect
memories to your social media timelines.
These success stories need to be screamed, not whispered.
Written by Fran Chismar
Sultan of Sales
Pinelands Nursery
Fran@pinelandsnursery.com
Written by Fran Chismar
Sultan of Sales
Pinelands Nursery
Fran@pinelandsnursery.com
No comments :
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.