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Approaching the Great Falls from Haines Overlook Park in Paterson, the natural beauty and industrial power of the 77-foot-high falls are immediately obvious. The building to the left of the falls is the still-active Great Falls Power Plant—one of the nation's first hydroelectric plants—that today produces 11,000 kilowatts of clean energy per hour.
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Steven Handel, who directs the Rutgers/Brooklyn Botanic Garden Center for Urban Restoration Ecology, is a world expert on urban ecological restoration. Among many other projects, he designed the new Orange County Great Park in California, for which he received the American Institute of Architects 2009 Institute Honor Award for Regional and Urban Design.
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Brooke Maslo, left, and Elena Tartaglia, both graduate students in Steven Handel's lab in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, spent part of a year identifying and inventorying flora around the Passaic River, home to the Great Falls. Maslo says the purpose of bringing in urban ecologists is to "make functioning ecosystems, not just pretty places."
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Developed by landscape architecture and urban design firm Field Operations, in collaboration with Rutgers' Center for Urban Restoration Ecology and others, the master plan envisions the new park as "Paterson's New Outdoor Living Room," with sections, or "rooms," devoted to nature, recreation, history, archaeology, and entertainment.
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The team surveys the falls from what will be the Sky Room, where ecological improvements will include the creation of roosting sites for birds along the river and falls, installation of canopy trees for shade, and soil erosion control. "Our primary goal is the preservation and conservation of native habitats … and the integration of the parcel into the surrounding habitat," says Maslo.
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A view of the falls from the Sky Room as envisioned in the master plan. The room is expected to be a main tour stop for geology and natural resource groups. "It would be wonderful to see such a unique place preserved forever," says Tartaglia. "Because of its unusual geology, the area is rich in diverse flora. And it has historic value as well."
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Handel says successful urban ecological restoration "involves reintroduction of native plants and animals, invasive species control, water management, and controlled plant-animal interactions." Tartaglia created a database of plants and recommended invasive species for removal and native species for reintroduction. Virginia creeper, left, and elderberry, right, are native to the area.
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As Tartaglia examines a butterfly found while crossing the lawn plateau, a group of visiting schoolchildren stops to take a look. It's a true "teaching moment," as the Rutgers researchers deliver a spontaneous lesson on the park's ecology.
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Over two semesters, Maslo conducted background research on historic site conditions, prepared lists of restoration target species, identified invasive plants, and created restoration strategies. Here, the team assesses the Forest Room/Valley of the Rocks, which will be an intensive nature area featuring hiking trails, bird-watching venues, and a butterfly meadow.
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Maslo spots a turtle at River Beach Park. It's the type of scene the team hopes will be repeated many times over as visitors explore the park's wildlife. "We strive to promote a stewardship of the land through public outreach and education, like nature trails and guided tours, so the restored land remains a viable and sustainable habitat," says Maslo.
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The park's planners remain mindful that the Great Falls district still plays an essential role in the civic infrastructure of Paterson and neighboring towns. The Passaic Valley Water Commission manages a booster pumping station at the Great Falls that pumps potable water from the Little Falls Water Treatment Plant.
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The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection says of the master plan, "[it] outlines this pivotal opportunity to recover the Great Falls, a portion of the Passaic River, and the various surrounding landscapes and cultural industrial heritage sites, and to reassemble these presently disconnected places and multiple interests into one spectacular new public space."
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Paterson's Great Falls Historic District Cultural Center at 65 McBride Avenue Extension offers educational services, including historic interpretation and guided walks of the district's industrial architecture, history, and current projects. "Paterson has a colorful history and is now a rich, multicultural city," says Maslo. "I'm glad our project will add even more to the city's identity."
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Today doctoral student Tartaglia, right, studies plant-insect pollination. "Pollination ensures reproduction in plants," she says, "so if we want to restore ecosystems, we need to focus on these interactions. We can't just install a bunch of plants and call it finished." In December 2009, Maslo, center, successfully defended her doctoral dissertation; she hopes to work as a restoration ecologist in private practice.
