Darke gives lecture on soil and water | News, Sports, Jobs
Ross Gallabrese EVENT COMING – Working on details for Rick Darke’s presentation on Thursday are (from left) Aaron Dodds, project manager for the Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District, and Ken Perkins and Andrew Morris, members of the district’s board of directors. Darke, a landscape ethicist, author and photographer, will speak at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Indian Creek High School auditorium. Admission is free.
WINTERSVILLE – When Rick Darke takes the stage in the Indian Creek High School auditorium Thursday night, he will talk about what parts of our area look like today while offering a vision of what they can become.
Darke, a landscape ethicist, author and photographer, will appear at 7 p.m. at the end of a three-day visit to the area. He said he will spend Tuesday and Wednesday surveying and documenting parts of the county and then incorporate those observations and photos – including images from a drone – into his presentation. “We celebrate the strength and resilience of America’s living landscapes.”
“For decades, my tactic in teaching has been to take contemporary photographs that integrate time, place and community,” he explained.
He will be looking at several different areas of land managed by the Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District, which is bringing Darke to the area and sponsoring Thursday’s presentation. Admission is free.
“Soil and water have several properties that we are working on developing,” explained Aaron Dodds, the district’s project manager. “We want to make sure these are cutting-edge properties that will attract people to the area. We looked at people who had developed similar projects and he was one of the designers we focused on.”
Darke has been helping transform areas for more than a quarter century. He said he enjoys looking for ways to incorporate an area’s industrial past into modern landscapes. According to a district summary, he will offer a different perspective on the sustainable landscapes people see around them every day and use his experience to show how parts of the district’s lands can be transformed into recreation and learning spaces.
There are several examples in our region of the impact made by Landenberg, Pennsylvania-based architectural firm Darke — including the Carrie Blast Furnaces National Historic Landmark in the Pittsburgh suburb of Swissvale and the land surrounding Fallingwater, the iconic home that architect Frank Lloyd Wright built for Edgar Kaufmann in the Laurel Highlands of western Pennsylvania.
Carrie Furnaces No. 6 and 7 were once part of the U.S. Steel Homestead Works. According to the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area, these are the only two blast furnaces in the region that are no longer in operation.
“When I talk about what is possible, I am talking about first-hand assessments,” said Darke. “The goal of this project – like the oven project – is to do a lot with little and to use our resources, the time of the people working on it and the volunteers efficiently. We want to keep it authentic and grounded.”
In total, Dodds explained, there are about 575 acres available in the Piney Fork and Quaker Ridge areas and the Hellbender Reservation, and about half of that will be open to the public. Work will begin in the area of the old mining town of Piney Fork and will include a five-mile hiking trail and the conversion of the railroad depot into a park.
Funding for these projects was included in the conservation district’s application for the Appalachian Community Grant. The program, which distributed $500 million to Ohio’s 32 counties located in the Appalachian region, largely bypassed our area. Only Adena received $4.5 million for road and building rehabilitation work.
While it was disappointing not to receive that money, Dodds said the district is moving forward with plans to develop those areas.
“Just because we didn’t receive funding doesn’t mean we stopped working,” said Dodds. “Rick’s presentation will highlight some of the things we are developing. It will show how we can contribute to our property, and it will show things that other communities can do that homeowners can implement in their own backyards.”
Darke, who is traveling to the area for the second time, said he enjoys working with the conservation district.
“Aaron and Wendee (Dodds, the district’s natural resources specialist and operations manager) and everyone else in the district have a good sense of aesthetics and design and really want to do something for the community. They’re community projects – they make life better for everyone in the area.”
Among other things, he will look for ways to integrate the remnants of the railway line – such as the crossing points of the tracks, known as switches or common level crossings – into the work.
“These shared crossings can be a place where people from across the community can come together,” added Darke.
Developing these properties and creating more space for outdoor recreation is important to the development of the region, Dodds said, and will provide new opportunities for people to explore parts of the area that have a rich history.
“One of the things you hear all the time, especially in government, is that there is nothing for the people here in the district to do,” he said. “Quality of life is very important to retain and attract people to the area. The natural beauty of our area is unparalleled – it’s beautiful.”
Completing projects on the district’s nearly 600 acres will make this beauty accessible – and encourage people to explore nature.
“It’s really about getting some of these children to spend less time in front of the screen and more time outdoors, where they can experience nature in all its glory,” added Dodds. “If you’re walking along a stream and you see a kingfisher, and then a bald eagle flies overhead and a box turtle swims past you, it’s a memory you’ll remember for a lifetime.”
