ENVIRONMENT

Urban Wildlife in New York City

New Yorkers are currently exploring creative options on what to do with a short stretch of abandoned rail line.
25 July, 2016
Among the most intriguing ideas put forward for the abandoned Montauk Cutoff is to convert it into an urban wildlife sanctuary.
The "Wild Line" proposal is a vision of architectural firm BanG Studio (in collaboration with Brooklyn Grange, a rooftop farming initiative), to turn the Queens location into a nature preserve with gardens, public art installations, and space set apart from humans for birds, rabbits and other small animals.

The property covers 4.2 acres (17,000 m2) of land, with four street bridges spanning its length. It has not been in use since early 2015, when that section of the Long Island Railroad was rerouted. This lead the Metropolitan Transit Authority to invite proposals for adaptive reuse of a property for which the agency hopes to retain the right of way or some shared interest, all while aligning its availability with community goals.
Images: BanG Studio
Enter architects Babak Bryan and Henry Grossman and their vision for the narrow, elevated tract that once was tracks. It includes "Firefly Field," a permanent installation of aluminium posts with lights that blink on and off. The proposed installation would create the experience of being surrounded by fireflies in an open field adjacent to an existing urban farm at one end of the "Wild Line" sanctuary. Other manmade structures would include flower-shaped sculptures to house birds, quirky geometric shapes meant to house bees and other insects, pedestrian walks and composting bins available for nearby residents to use for their food waste.
Local media report the space has been an eyesore for years, and the design is a frontrunner for adding both beauty and beasts to the community – at least small ones, like raccoons. Native plantings to restore a small piece of what was once Long Island's thriving vegetation and shoreline ecosystem will support bees and birds, with project partnership support from the nearby farm initiative on Flatbush Avenue.

Image: Samm Blake
That commercial urban food organization, Brooklyn Grange, also has extensive experience with garden installations beyond city rooftops and vacant lots. There are Brooklyn Grange apiaries, greenhouses, coops, urban pastures, and restaurant gardens to supply kitchens with locally sourced products steps from the door. The design team at Brooklyn Grange has created a community garden at the United Nations, tended by people from all countries and cultures, and a rooftop meadow for Vice Media's offices.

The Brooklyn Grange also specializes in building community, which makes them well-qualified to help execute the "Wild Line" vision alongside Bryan and Grossman. Their plan makes clear the space is intended not just as a sanctuary for wildlife, but for diverse residents from the neighboring boroughs and across New York City. The urban farming partners have an entire program designed for refugees and immigrants who relocate to the city with their own specialized knowledge from Asia, Africa or Mexico.
Smiling Hogshead Ranch. Image: Timothy Krause
Those programs are designed as a win-win for the participants, who make new connections as they adapt to life in their new homes while building skill sets, resumes and relationships to help them succeed in the transition. That ethos is woven into the entire "Wild Line" proposal, with its emphasis on holistic sustainability in the community.

The commitment to an ecosystem is reflected in the plantings, construction materials, creation of a wildlife habitat and the intricacy of interdependence – bees, for example, will help to pollinate crops at the adjacent Smiling Hogshead Ranch, another startup farm extended along abandoned track. So too is a sense that "Wild Line" will be an oasis to attract humans who seek its solace and refuge.
Banner image: BanG Studio