WATERFLOWERS
 

Marsh Dragon at Danehy Park

The 2024 community environmental art installation at Danehy Park is the Marsh Dragon.  You will see a circle weir, looking like a natural beaver dam. It is made of reeds and sticks that protects the wetland’s outlet from debris and sediment that can cause flooding. Over the last three decades the sediment layer in the wetland has built up to the outlet level reducing its effectiveness. Like the Earth Serpent we built protecting Fresh Pond, the Dragons are biofilters.

​

Dragons are the Chinese symbol of Power, Good Luck, and Strength, they have control over typhoons, rainfall, water, and floods. An appropriate symbol for the Danehy Park retention/detention basin that is a marsh ecosystem, not only is it a sponge preventing flooding, but it is also the most efficient system on land for carbon absorption. They are carbon sponges.

​

Join us for two weekends this summer to harvest and craft a dragon. A morning Swamp Stomp to learn about the human and natural history of the site is followed by a Work Party to harvest and build the sculptures together.

​

 Terry Bastian of Waterflowers Design, defines “Ecological Design, as the art and science of adapting human culture to nature”. This is part of an ongoing series at Danehy Park of educational “Swamp Stomps” and community art projects with students, like the building with reeds the pterodactyl “Nests of Ideas”. Working since the dump was first turned into a public park, we seek to not just restore and maintain the ecology of the wetland, but the community’s connection to it.

​

We are also looking for suggestions and ideas for new signage to tell the story of the wetland.  Schools and community groups who want to learn more about adapting our infrastructure to climate change and to be involved with this project, please see www.waterflowers.org and contact Terrybastian01970@gmail.com .

​