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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Kathleen Ruiz, Ph.D. abd, Associate Professor of Integrated Arts, Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute: Project Designer, Director, Producer ruiz@rpi.edu * Kate Van Baren,
8th grade science teacher Onteora Middle School
4166 New York 28 Boiceville,
NY 12412 (Watershed partner school) Water is necessary for existence itself.
Climate change, however presents us with very significant, health, safety,
social, economic and cultural challenges that are far-reaching and threaten
the future of our watersheds. Flo:
The Watershed Project is an
artistic, scientific and educational game simulation project about the vital
importance of water, specifically in the New York City West of Hudson
Watershed and the need for new sustainable practices, stewardship and
conservation to avoid the
causes of flooding and the impacts of climate change. This unfiltered
watershed, which ensures the very life of New York City, is located in the
six reservoirs in the Catskill Mountain/Delaware River Region of New York
State and supplies over 90% of the 1.3 billion gallons of water consumed
daily by 9 million its residents. By communicating with young people in
their "native digital" language, the project offers a rare
opportunity to create a unique bridge between the digital and natural worlds.
The game is played from first person water point of view using the Kinect motion sensing input device to impart the visceral feeling of
being first person water. (The on-line version will use simple mouse and
keyboard commands.) Flo’s life as water is traced from “birth” in the rain over the
mountains as one falls to earth like a raindrop. Then one moves through the
saturated soil into high gradient streams, stream riffles, past native
riparian buffers, ducking through and
around streambeds, branching throughout the system of cascading creeks,
rivers, tributaries and then into reservoirs, through tunnels and aqueducts,
and onwards to become drinking water in New York City. These waterway scenarios, based on
watershed geographical data, will be the various “levels” of the game. One
must avoid or correct the dangers that Flo has on the journey through a
series of mini-games that enable the Flo journey to continue. These include: 1. Reducing
sediment and turbidity: addressing erosion and associated water quality
impacts by stream management/rehab projects and the use of various techniques
including riparian plantings and encouraging and educating people to avoid
building in flood plains 2. Altering
conditions of development impacts: correcting adverse conditions from
asphalt road oils, salt and septic waste through wiser town planning, good
septic practices, proper storage of salt, bio swales to help filter asphalt
road oils from parking lots and roadways and reducing impervious cover by
designing to traffic density, minimizing roadway length & widths,
reducing sidewalk widths, cul de sacs, and the
footprint of parking areas, sharing driveways and creating hydrologically functional lots. Managing impact by the
following: conservation of natural areas, creating vegetated buffers, filter
strip and riparian reforestation, vegetated open channel, tree planting,
rooftop flow disconnection, stream daylighting,
rain gardens, green roofs, storm water planters, rain tank/cisterns, and
using permeable paving.[1] 3. Implementing
storm water control systems: for new construction or retrofit projects to avoid the impacts
by preserving natural features such
protecting undisturbed areas, buffers, reduction of clearing and grading,
locating sites in less sensitive areas, and soil restoration. 4. Reducing
farm pollutants: such
as chemical fertilizers, cattle & cow waste by moving cows away from
streams and into areas where fresh water troughs are available for them to
drink from, utilizing natural organic fertilizers instead of chemical
fertilizers and encouraging organic farming by eliminating antibiotics and
chemicals on animals food, feeding
livestock healthy, natural diets that have no animal remains, and using waste
for fertilizer with proper methods of composting with care to temperature,
and composting for several years before selling. 5. Encouraging
positive forestry practice: with no clear cutting and good selective
forest management plans determining when and how much timber should be cut at
a time, and developing deer management plans to protect forest understory and
regrowth. 6.
Preventing pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) pollution: by bringing
old medications to community drop off centers, and not flushing or washing
pills into the water supply, using only needed medications and products that
are more naturally made. 7. Reducing
heat pollution by planting
vegetation around streams to keep them cool and planting vegetation in cities
to slow the runoff of water into streams, permitting the water to percolate
slowly through soil. Sustainable and
ecofriendly practices which will be incorporated throughout the game and
include: * Alternate forms of energy such as
wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal heating/cooling * Transportation alternatives such as
electric, hybrid cars, bikes, walking, public transportation, and emerging
new ideas such as nitrogen cars * New forms of clustered housing and
villages * Better agricultural practices and food
production To foster Flo’s health and safety on her journey, the player must ensure,
through their choices that healthy environmental conditions exist. To complete the highest quest, one must
go out into the field and upload “real world” water testing results (both
observational and chemical) in addition to artistic observations and
impressions in the form of music, art, photography, or poetry. A web portal will be created with
information about The Watershed Game
and Fieldwork Project, including the downloadable version of the game,
information about water testing, climate change, maps of the WOH watershed
area, links to other relevant websites (such as USGS water monitoring sites,
DEP website, etc.), and an upload area for the visual and audio database of
water quality testing results, field observations, and artistic reflections
and actions. Other schools, community and environmental groups will be able
to participate in and contribute to the project. This project is made possible with funds
from the Catskill Watershed Corporation in partnership with the New York City
Department of Environmental Protection. For more information please email: ruiz@rpi.edu |
