Union Square to Grow a Living Wall for Earth Day
BY KATIE LEAVITT | TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2010 10:09 AM ET
Lush green walls will be erected at the downtown New York City crossroads in honor of Earth Day.
N.Y.C. will host a 40′ x 8′ “living wall” starting on Thursday and remaining throughout the weekend. The wall, which will be covered in native New York plants will begin to grow at 7 a.m.
The structure will be built with Woolly Pockets, which are planting containers made of recycled plastic that can be hung on walls, inside or outside. The soft pocket structure remains breathable for plant life, yet can be hung any fence or standing structure with only supporting anchors on which to hang.
Woolly Pockets founder, Miguel Nelson will offer his products and hanging services to honor New York Restoration Project’s (NYRP) NYC Grows festival, which will be held April 25 in Union Square, and in celebration of Earth Day’s 40th anniversary on April 22.
NYRP was created by Bette Midler in order to help keep the city clean and green. The NYC Grows festival will feature eco-friendly activities, demonstrations, giveaways and shopping.
Hanging the 400 modules will not only help spread the word about the festival, but also the Woolly Pockets school program, which allows students to build a plant wall in the classroom. Building a living wall helps them learn about nutrition, gardening and sustainability in an educational setting. The pockets cost about $20 per student, but if that kind of money isn’t available, Woolly Pockets will help find supporters to make it happen. Already implemented in schools in Los Angeles, Nelson is hoping to bring the program to NYC.