Newtown Creek Nature Walk Complete ✅
After many years of hard work, we recently joined with the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), the Department of Design and Construction (DDC), elected officials and environmental and community groups to cut the ribbon on the newly expanded Newtown Creek Nature Walk in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The expanded Nature Walk—designed by artist George Trakas as a commission through DCLA’s Percent for Art Program—is now accessible to the public from either side of our 53-acre Newtown Creek Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility.
As part of the expansion, three 60-foot long bow-shaped vessels made of galvanized steel with connecting ramps, bridges and a central “turret” seating area were constructed to connect the existing Nature Walk to the opposite, eastern side of Whale Creek. There, a 430-foot long area has been landscaped with trees, shrubs and grasses, and features ample seating and shade structures, bicycle racks, water fountains, several rain gardens and five 380-million-year-old boulder-sized tree fossils found near the Schoharie Reservoir. The public can now access the Nature Walk from either Kingsland Avenue or Paidge Avenue.
The newly opened portion also has a large, canopied table featuring an etching of the Monitor that was built in a Greenpoint shipyard in 1863, a water fountain carved into a 3.4-billion-year-old rock, imprints of bare feet and moon boots, and solar-powered light bollards etched with the names of navigational star constellations.
As we continue the important work of restoring the health of Newtown Creek, expanding the Nature Walk and providing uninterrupted public access to the waterfront helps us engage all New Yorkers in this critical effort. Thank you to George Trakas for his wonderful design, to our partners at DDC for their excellent construction management, and to the elected officials and environmental and community groups for their tireless advocacy for an expanded Nature Walk!
