2012.09.28
Part 1 of 13
Dredge and the Anthropocene Introductions
On Friday, September 28 we welcomed the Dredge Research Collaborative for an afternoon of conversation about the human acceleration of sediments. As the DRC, who first discussed their research in a Live Interview at Studio-X NYC (LI@SX) in January 2012, note, “New York is a city built on dredge,” from its filled-in shoreline and deepened harbor channels to contemporary projects aimed at the restoration of marshland ecology and the remediation of toxic sites. This Dredgefest Symposium served as an opportunity for conversation between corporate practitioners, government agencies, urbanists, artists, industry experts, and the general public.
The schedule was as follows:
1:00 pm Dredge and the Anthropocene
In three short talks and a panel discussion, we introduce the idea of dredge as a process that is interconnected with a much larger regime of human sediment handling practices, and examine ways that humans act as geologic agents.
Participants include:
Lisa Baron, Project Manager, USACE
Eric Sanderson, Landscape Ecologist and author of Mannahatta
Roger Hooke, Research professor, University of Maine
Andrew Genn, Senior Vice President, NYC Economic Development Corporation
3:00 pm Circularity and Feedback
Short talks by leading practitioners examine the current evolution of the handling of sedimentary resources from twentieth-century linear industrial models towards twentyfirst-century methods that create cycles, positive feedback loops, and resilience in the face of contemporary environmental challenges.
Participants include:
Bill Murphy, e4sciences
Douglas Pabst, EPA’s Dredged Material Management Integration Workgroup for the NY/NJ Harbor
4:45 pm Regeneration and Public Participation
With a talk and panel, we examine the emergence of dredge as a resource for environmental regeneration, as in the current restoration of island wetlands within Jamaica Bay using dredged material from channel deepening projects. This section will also highlight the grass roots of dredge, looking at practitioners who enable public participation through their work.
Participants include:
Kate Orff, SCAPE and Columbia University GSAPP
Meredith Comi, Director, Oyster Restoration Program and NY/NJ Baykeeper
Dave Avrin, Chief of Resources at Gateway National Recreation Area, NPS
6:00pm Dredge reception at Studio-X NYC
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