Rewilding

It can happen in your neighborhood, in fact it is happening in mine!

This is just up from 19th street

“Yes, this is rewilding. I believe this is that.” That is what Sean Kovensky said, civil engineer for the City of Eugene Public Works, who agreed to a short interview. I was investigative reporting, I had to ask a few questions about the Amazon Creek Restoration Project because I bike past it all the time. I knew something was going on when they cut down several trees, which bothered me, but now I know why. Seems like to bring things back to their natural state, you might end up knocking it down before building it up, or at least it was necessary in this case.

Looking north from 24th and Amazon parkway (oops said south on the pod)

I have biked by this so many times and it’s exciting to see it transform even if it involves a lot of demo first. The starting goal is to make things wider, which means removing concrete.

The creek was a river once quite a while ago then they put concrete everywhere to control the water, reduce flooding. It became a 22’ wide shallow trough of water that gets too warm in the summer and isn’t hospitable to life, except algae. It has a lot of algae.

I think they want to sculpt it like it was before we got here. The other day I went by and watched them digging and shaping.

It will be more inviting than a bare field off a concrete trench with no life in it. It will have more water. The water will be cooler.

They will plant new trees. The creek will have wider, softer edges. There will be shade. The water will be cool enough for things to live in it. Fish should be able to survive and possibly thrive. They will add three benches and a pedestrian bridge. This segment is from 20th to 24th.

So, this is a story about a good thing happening in the city for the planet and the people and animals and I thought you might like to know about it.

The definition of rewilding is to “prevent species extinction and restore balance to ecosystems that have suffered as a result of human activity.”

Makes me think about how it might be helpful for us to do the same for our own fluid ecosystem.

Can we rewild ourselves?

We could broaden limitations
soften edges
shelter and nurture different layers
remove blocks, rigidity
sculpt out shapes needed to deepen to source
invite co-creativity
slow it down
filtrate emotions
add benches for the act of being around each other
in a diverse and communal way

[Music: The Good Place, by Simber]