Symposium Recap

Held Nov. 16 & 17, 2022
LMCC Arts Center at Governors Island, NYC
7th Annual Urban Soils Symposium.

This annual symposium is an international platform for diverse and interdisciplinary collaborative opportunities built on the discovery and mutual explorations of soils and their force in nature and in sustaining life both in the natural and human-built systems.

Thank you for joining the Urban Soils Institute & partners as we explored solutions & strategies for transforming urban supply chains into entire urban metabolisms, where natural and anthropogenic processes exist in a mutualistic relationship.

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Gallery

Thank you so much to the speakers, artists and attendees who joined us at our 7th annual urban soils symposium: Metabolism of Cities at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Center on Governors Island. This symposium was so great, and it’s all because of you! We were blown away by the creativity, energy and atmosphere you brought to this event - it truly felt like a platform for urban soils. If you couldn’t make it this year, we hope that you can make it in 2023 because honestly, you’ve missed out :)

Presenters

**Dr. Domen Leštan**
Chair of Soil and Environmental Science
Biotechnology, Dept of Agronomy, University of Ljubljana,
Co-Founder of Envit Ltd., a Soil Services Startup
**Session:** Can We Clean Up Contaminated Soils? (Day 2)

**Daniel Fiscus, PhD**
Sustainability Scientist
Research Alliance for Regenerative Economics
**Session:** Phenomenology of Metabolism (Day 1)

**Dr. Daniel Walsh**
Founding Director of NYC Mayor's Office of Environmental Remediation
Founder of Clean Soil Bank, NYC Voluntary Cleanup Program and NYC Green Property Certification Program
**Session:** Metabolism Repair Panel Discussion (Day 2)

**Juan Pablo Siles**
*Associate Curator & Producer, Trust for Governors Island*
**Session:** Phenomenology of Metabolism Opening (Day 1)

**Francesca da Rimini**
*Writer & Artist*
**Session:** Soils Poetry Slam & Jam Happy Hour (Day 1)

**John McLaughlin**
*Managing Director, Office of Ecosystem Services, NYC DEP*
**Session:** Nature-proofed Wetland Treatment for the Urban Dilemma (Day 2)

**Bradley Choate Kennedy**
*PhD Candidate, University of Maryland*
**Session:** Nutrient Cycling for Us (Day 1)

**Mario Joyce**
*Artist & Storyteller*
**Session:** AES Expo (Both Days)
**Portfolio Website**

**Justin Morris-Marano**
*Interdisciplinary Designer, Founder, Flourish LAB*
*PipeDreams*
Session: AES Expo (Both Days)
**Portfolio Website**

**Eliza Evans, PhD**
*Artist & Economic Sociologist*
*All The Way To Hell*
Session: AES Expo (Both Days)
**Portfolio Website**

**Ilona Golovina**
*Ceramic Artist*
**Session:** AES Expo (Both Days)
**Portfolio Website**

**Candace Thompson**
*Performer & Media Maker*
*C.U.R.B.*
Session: AES Expo (Both Days)
**Portfolio Website**

**Isabella Culotta**
*Student & Research Aide in Lehmann Soil Science Lab Group at Cornell University*
**Session:** The Soil Factory (Day 1)

**Heather McMordie**
*Artist & Printmaker*
***Rebuilding the Marsh***
**Session:** AES Expo (Both Days)
**Portfolio Website**

**Elizabeth Hénaff, PhD**
Assistant Professor | Integrated Design and Media
Affiliate Faculty | Center for Urban Science and Progress
NYU Tandon School of Engineering
**Session:** Exploring the Metabolite Relationships (Day 2), Metabolism Repair Panel Discussion (Day 2)

**Mary Mattingly**
Interdisciplinary Artist
Director of Swale
**Session:** Earth Time (Day 1)

**Marisa DeDominicis**
*Co-Founder & Executive Director, Earth Matter NY*
**Session:** Earth Matters Compost Tour Investigation & Workshop (Day 1 Breakout Sessions), Community Discussion/Sharing Session (Day 2)

**Angela Moreno-Long**
*Landscape Architectural Designer*
**Session:** Urban Soils Transect Effect (Day 1)

**Joshua Harrison**
*Director, Center for the Study of the Force Majeure at UC-Santa Cruz & Co-Founder, Leaf Island*
**Session:** How Big is Here? (Day 1)

**Agnese Trocchi**
*Artist, Writer & Social Media Professional*
**Session:** Soils Poetry Slam & Jam Happy Hour (Day 1)

**Alec Rovensky**
*Residency Director, Institute for Public Architecture*
**Session**: Infrastructure Metabolism Roundtable Discussion (Day 1)

**Sue Huang**
*New Media & Installation Artist, Assistant Professor at University of Connecticut*
*Honey Fungus*
Session: AES Expo (Both Days)
**Portfolio Website**

**Walker Tufts**
*Game Designer & Artist at University of Buffalo*
***Dirty Time***
**Session:** AES Expo (Both Days)
**Portfolio Website**

**Mitch Iburg**
*Ceramicist & Artist*
*Raw Clay Studies*
Session: AES Expo (Both Days)
**Portfolio Website**

**Julie Ann Nagle**
*Artist & ‘Unarcheologist’*
**Session:** AES Expo (Both Days)
**Portfolio Website**

**Heather Kapplow**
*Creative Consultant*
***Dirty Time***
**Session**: AES Expo (Both Days)
**Portfolio Website**

**Elena D’Amanda**
*Farm Assistant & Educator, Earth Matter NY*
**Session:** Earth Matters Compost Tour Investigation & Workshop (Day 1 Breakout Sessions)

**Merle Karp**
*Video Designer, Visual Artist & VJ*
**Session:** AES Expo (Both Days)
**Portfolio Website**

**Dr. Susan Smith**
Artist & Educator, Graduate Coordinator of Intermedia Programs
Associate Professor of Research at University of Maine
**Session:** W.I.P. (work in progress): Radical Gardening: Practice-based Research, “A Quest for Sustainability in an Unsustainable World” (Day 2

**Margaret Boozer-Strother**
Ceramicist
Founder of Red Dirt Studio
Co-Founder & Director of Art Extension Service
**Session:** Art & Science Collaboration Discussion (Day 1 Breakout Sessions), AES Collaborative Expo (Day 2)

**Virginia Kasinki**
*Executive Director of Newburgh Urban Farm & Food Initiative*
**Session:** Community Discussion/Sharing Session (Day 2)

**Institute for Public Architecture Residents**
**Session:** Infrastructure Metabolism Roundtable Discussion (Day 1 Breakout Sessions)

**Melody R. Stein**
*Landscape Architect, Writer, Artist*
**Session:** Urban Soils Transect Effect (Day 1)

**Dr. Brian Fath**
*Professor, Towson University*
**Session:** Phenomenology of Metabolism (Day 1)

**Makalé Faber-Cullen**
*Curator, Director of DORAMODOU*
**Session:** Flying Molecules: A Fragrant and Colorful Provocation of BC in Urban Soils (Day 1)
**Portfolio Website**

**Anna Rinzo**
*Artist & Handweaver*
**Session:** AES Expo (Both Days)
**Portfolio Website**

**Julia Cavicchi**
*Education Director, Rich Earth Institute*
**Session:** Rich Earth Institute Summit (Partner Event)

**Emilie Houssart**
*Artist & Curator*
**Session:** AES Expo (Both Days)
**Portfolio Website**

**Greg Stewart**
*Artist & Sculptor*
*Dirt Stories*
Session: AES Expo (Both Days)
**Portfolio Website**

**Ursula Scherrer**
*Video Artist & Photographer*
**Session:** Soil Poetry Slam & Jam Happy Hour (Day 1)
**Portfolio Website**

**Andrew Paterson**
*Artist-Organizer, Educator & Independent Researcher*
***Me an ma Wormies***
**Session:** AES Expo (Both Days)
**Portfolio Website**

**Brooke Singer**
*Artist, Educator & Activist*
***Carbon Sponge***
**Session:** AES Expo (Both Days)
**Portfolio Website**

**Edward R. Landa, MPH, PhD**
Adjunct Professor
Department of Environmental Science and Technology
University of Maryland
**Session:** Special Opening Feature (Day 1)

**Dr. Paul S. Mankiewicz**
Co-Founder of the NYC Urban Soils Institute
Founder of the Gaia Institute
Chief Scientist / Co-Founder of Leaf Island
**Session:** Metabolism Repair Panel Discussion (Day 2)

**Grega Voglar, PhD**
*Envit Ltd. attaché & ReSoil technology business developer*
**Session:** Can We Clean Up Contaminated Soils? (Day 2)

**Lauren Klenow**
*Exhibitions Coordinator, LMCC*
**Session:** Phenomenology of Metabolism Opening (Day 1)

**Diane Ludin**
Digital Professional & Poet
**Session:** Soils Poetry Slam & Jam Happy Hour (Day 1)

**Milton Vega**
*Soil Scientist, USDA-NRCS*
**Session:** Soils - A Force of Nature in the City (Day 1)

**Amelia Marzec**
*Artist*
*Apothecary*
Session: AES Expo (Both Days)
**Portfolio Website**

**Amanda McDonald Crowley**
*Artist, Curator & Arts Administrator*
*Nature As Magic*
Session: AES Expo (Both Days)
**Portfolio Website**

**Tatiana Schreiber**
*Social Research Director, Rich Earth Institute*
**Session:** Rich Earth Institute Summit (Partner Event)

**Jonah King**
*Media Artist, Filmmaker & Educator*
*Honey Fungus*
Session: AES Expo (Both Days)
**Portfolio Website**

**Igor Bronz**
*Engineer, Hydrologist, Team Member at NYC Urban Soils Institute, Co-Founder at Leaf Island*
*PipeDreams*
Session: AES Expo (Both Days)

**George Lozefski**
*Ecologist, Educator, Team Member at NYC Urban Soils Institute*
**Session:** Master of Ceremonies (All Days), Frontman of *FunGuy* (Day 1)

**Dr. Margot Lystra**
Independent Artist & Scholar
***Unruly Earths***
**Session:** AES Expo (Both Days)
**Portfolio Website**

**Lisa Crafts**
*Animator & Moving Image Artist*
***Chimera Soil Portraits***
**Session:** AES Expo (Both Days)
**Portfolio Website**

Event Partners & Sponsors

NYC Soil & Water Conservation District

People’s Friendship University (RUDN)

TreePeople of LA

SWALE

Earth Matter NY

GrowNYC

Leaf Island, Inc

Newburgh Urban Farm and Food Initiative

Envit Ltd.

FlourishLAB

Institute for Public Architecture

Who is this Symposium For?

All who are interested in soils.

USI is an open global platform with soils at the center bringing together all backgrounds and disciplines, all ages, and every walk of life, to have access to everything soils, for multi and interdisciplinary explorations, collaborations, and feedback connections

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