The Knotweed Project

Forbes Ave. & Wood St. in Pittsburgh Reiko Goto and Noel Hefele, 3 Rivers 2nd Nature, a project of the STUDIO for Creative Inquiry at Carnegie Mellon University, and Christine Brill, GroundZero Action Network, a point of convergence for creative people, information and communities, present an art exhibit entitled “Japanese Knotweed at the skinnybuilding” in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh. The upper two stories will display potted Japanese Knotweed ( Polygonum cuspidatum ), transforming the skinnybuilding into a greenhouse from August 9 through September 3 , 2004 . Japanese Knotweed is considered an invasive plant species. Originally introduced to the United States from Asia as an ornamental landscaping species, knotweed has aggressively spread throughout the northeastern United States, and its local prominence threatens the habitat of native plant communities. The Knotweed Project seeks to raise awareness and provoke dialogue about the plant and its impact on the region. Knotweed may be a permanent part of western PA’s “natural” environment. Through art, this project hopes to generate free discussion and mutual respect about Pittsburgh’s diverse ecosystem and environmental culture. Visit the website for more information.

We offered a Free River Boat Ride and Knotweed Dialogue to the community in August of 2004. We looked at the knotweed along the Pittsburgh riverbanks while experts gave presentations on the plant.