Water
Chronicle of “Jump in”
The project “Jump in” sparkled from an initial analysis of the most critical water resource issues in Wilhelmsburg. The poor condition of the Veringkanal, a polluted flowing water body in the middle of one of the densest areas in the neighborhood, caught our attention.
Similarly, it was rapidly noticeable that even though some pedestrian walkways and even a Spielplatz surrounded the canal, visitors had no direct interaction with it.
After a few brainstorming sessions we decided to develop a concept project were both overreaching issues could be tackled. A project that could promote community involvement in the cleansing of the canal through measures like phytoremediation could bring an array of sustainable benefits to Wilhelmsburg.
During the Summer School our focus was on sensing the community’s inclination towards having the Veringkanal cleaned and more importantly their willingness to actively participate in the cleansing process.
Initially, an active research exercise was conducted in the Spielplatz yielding very positive responses. The research demonstrated that the community had an unquestionable interest to make use of the water for recreational and even productive purposes.
It was then decided to capture the community’s strong desire of participation with an art installation. This installation, which was titled “Mark your stone” consisted in a collection of white stones signed by those interested in contributing towards the cleansing of the canal organized in a form that resembled a path towards the water in allusion to the community’s ambition to interact with the water.
With the objective of giving continuity to the project we looked for a local leader (Café Vissionaire) interested in pursuing the traced goals. Taking advantage of the Café’s location and context, as well as the owner’s desire to contribute to the community through art, the dissemination of the project could have a potential to persevere.
Goals
The long-term goal is to strengthen the ecologic value and significantly improve the quality of water of the Veringkanal with the participation and for the benefit of the community.
Selling point
The project “Jump in” targets a handful of drivers of change at various levels:
The integration of the community to solve a problem (water pollution) will result in stewardship and in turn the same community will look over the wellbeing of the Veringkanal,
Cleaning the canal using their own hands will enable all those involved to better understand how nature is able to regenerate polluted environments (educational component).
Understanding that the project and the process is not a short and simple one, we propose to have a series of “live museum” sponsors such as the Café Visionnaire located at the water edge to demonstrate the process and benefits of phytoremediation and other storm water management techniques.
Sustainability Benefits
The cleansing the Veringkanal could significantly improve the environment and the biodiversity of the water body and its surroundings.
The process of cleaning the canal with the local residents will result in higher awareness of the meaning of environmental, social and even economical sustainability.
The interaction between people from different age, ethnic and social groups will result in a stronger sense of community that could be replicated in other projects.
Economically, the improvement of the water quality of the Verinkanal can result in the creation of a variety of water activities that create new job opportunities and motivate new investors to regenerate the area, ideally for the benefit of the local community.
Next Steps
Next steps include documenting the results of this project to eventually capture the local authorities and key decision makers’ attention to support the action with economic and maybe professional resources.
Further recruiting of local leaders and/or local businesses to support the project and to collect more “signatures” to continue pressuring key decision makers.
To disseminate knowledge on phytoremediation techniques through live museum or demonstration spaces in partnership with local businesses and through special “awareness” exhibitions/campaigns that offer the opportunity to engage local artists.
The following are 10 proposed steps for the “Jump In” project:
01. Approach the community
Through active research the community has demonstrated its strong desire to have the Verinkanal cleaned to have the opportunity to play with/experience the water.
02. “Mark in stone” art installation
An art installation was conducted to collect signatures of local residents who support the project and are willing to cooperate with the cleansing of the Veringkanal.
03. Local leader takes over the project.
The future Café Visionnaire will be strategically located along the waterfront and could take over the “Mark the stone” installation to gather more support and organize awareness campaigns involving local artists.
Its location along the Veringkanal is a great opportunity to showcase the benefits of phytoremediation in a “live museum” format. This action confirms the business’s strong commitment to the community and the environment.
04. Decision makers hear the community’s voice.
The permanent display of the community’s desire to clean the Veringkanal manifested in the “mark the stone” installation has finally reached decision makers who can finance and guide the project.
05. The institution(s) organize the cleansing of the Verinkanal.
Ideally the institution(s) will convoke the community and together cleanse the Veringkanal.
06. Bring your plant.
Members of the community who are interested in cleaning the canal are invited to bring their own tools including proper phytoremediation plants (a list of plants with the right characteristics will be issued).
Cleaning the canal using their own hands will enable all those involved to better understand how nature is able to regenerate polluted environments.
07. Opportunity to own a floating garden.
The opportunity for neighbors to own a floating garden will promote stewardship and in turn it will ensure that the community looks over the wellbeing of the Veringkanal,
08. Through phytoremediation the water is cleaned.
Phytoremediation offers an environmentally friendly and economic solution to clean polluted water and soil.
09. Environmental and social benefits.
The cleansing of the Veringkanal could inherently improve the environment and enrich biodiversity. It would also strengthen sense of community and provide opportunities for employment.
10. Regeneration of an area.
The action of cleaning the canal will result in the regeneration of its waterfront areas, creating the potential for the establishment of new businesses related to aquatic activities and the opportunity to create new jobs for the local residents.
