This Art Piece Cleans The Air
Hello!
You’re looking at a collection of “basket willow” trees — a shrub known for its ability to bend and weave without breaking. This design was spearheaded by Aresh “Earth” Javadi. With Aresh’s help, neighbors and volunteers at Maria Sola Greenspace planted and maintain this.
It is part of a broader effort to bring cleaner air, cooler temperatures, and more green space to the South Bronx.
The Benefits of Basket Willow Art
Of course, all of these benefits only have a real impact at scale. This single art piece is just the beginning, a demonstration of the power of more plants.
Better Than an Air Purifier
Here in the South Bronx, over one in five children suffer from asthma. The neighborhood is choked by pollution caused by everything from the highways over our heads to the trucking facilities on our waterfront.
This is one small way to fight back against this. These willow trees creates fresh oxygen for us to breathe.
(For more on how to help fight back, I recommend reading about the work South Bronx Unite does.)
As Powerful as an Air Conditioner
When cities have more green space, they’re naturally cooler.
According to a report by the USDA’s Forest Service, an average healthy tree is equivalent to ten room-size air conditioners.
Consider these willow trees as powerful as an air conditioner.
This is for a few reasons.
- These plants cool the air directly a process called transpiration. As water in the plants evaporates, the plants absorb heat energy from the surrounding air.
- Cities like New York are extra hot because concrete and asphalt absorb heat. This is called the “urban heat island effect.” This structure and its soil reflect heat instead of absorbing it.
- As the willow trees grow, they’ll provide more shade.
Improves The Soil
We don’t see most of what plants do. That’s because it happens underground. These willow trees send out roots which prevent soil erosion, enhance water retention, and even help break down pollutants in the soil.
This makes the soil cleaner and more fertile.
Reduces Flood Risk
The South Bronx, as happened during Hurricane Sandy, is in a flood-risk zone. Because the soil here has enhanced water retention, it will be more effective at absorbing rain and stormwater than low-quality soil.
Support Ecosystems
If you look closely, you may notice caterpillars, bees, slugs, insects, and other organisms that are a crucial part of our ecosystem.
- Pollinators: Bees and butterflies help nearby plants reproduce, contributing to a thriving and biodiverse green space in New York City.
- Pest Control: Many insects eat mosquitos, without the need for chemical pesticides.
- Bird Food Source: These insects in turn are a food source for birds.
- Nutrient Cycling: Worms, slugs, and other decomposers break down organic matter, enriching the soil with nutrients that support healthier plant growth.
Fast-Growing
These willows grow fast.
As they do, we can trim the stems and replant them somewhere else, helping us create even more of these without needing extra materials. This process takes a few months to a year, compared to most trees which are on the scale of decades.
Do You Want to Help Make More of These?
Right now, there are dozens of empty sidewalk beds right here in the South Bronx. Together, we can plant even more willows with limitless design and artistic potential.
Perhaps you know the perfect place to build a structure like this. Feel free to reach out.
For more on the process, I wrote a detailed piece here.
