The elephants were crafted by The Coexistence Collective, a team of more than 200 indigenous Indian artisans, to serve both as a jaw-dropping display and as a call to action. Organized by Elephant Family USA, a nonprofit committed to the protection of Asian wildlife, they aim to illustrate the symbiotic relationship between humans and wildlife and to spotlight the balance between both. 

The statues, shaped from the invasive weed Lantana camara, were placed in large groups in several of Newport’s green spaces. Viewing one cohort of the elephants at the magnificent Breaker’s mansion on the Cliff Walk, I couldn’t help feel the power of art to awaken our consciousness to the need for a more sustainable future.

My photos can’t capture the grandeur, or the awe they inspired. Still, here are a few to inspire.

This is a statement piece by Mia Lin, an extraordinary way of making climate change visible. She has literally brought a dying forest to the city, so that urban dwellers can experience first hand what is happening to landscapes far from their everyday lives.

The strand of 49 American white cedar trees in Ghost Forest, as explained in placards around the park, came from the New Jersey Pine Barrens. They had been infiltrated by salt water due to sea level rise, and also were affected by increased winds and fire. Lin wanted to bring attention to the mass die-offs of once healthy woodlands. In the past, Atlantic white cedars were plentiful on the East Coast, proving at least 500,000 acres of habitat for plants and animals. They have dwindled to below 50,000 acreas and are now endangered.

“The harsh magnitude of planetary vulnerability in communities and the environment is a significant subject in Lin’s practice.”

Standing amid the trees, feeling their dying presence, really brings home the harm humans are doing to the planet.

Ferry Docking

I first walked along the waterfront under the FDR drive. There is a new (well, new to me) ferry docking area at Pier 11 that was busy with boats coming and going, while overhead a helicopter whirred. In the distance to the south, the Verrazano Bridge was visible, while to the north, the span of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Historic District

Nearby are the iconic ships that bring to mind New York’s shipbuilding past. The Seaport is now a historic district, and for me what stands out most are the distinctive red-brick buildings, all of modest scale, though a few shiny new buildings have cropped up nearby, providing textural contrast.

Shops and Museum

There were tempting stores and restaurants on every street, and an expanded and marvelous Seaport Museum https://southstreetseaportmuseum.org, with a wonderful permanent collection, an education program, and walking tours. Under the museum’s umbrella is Bowne Printers and Stationers at 209 Waters Street https://southstreetseaportmuseum.org/water-street/bowne-printers. The printers use historic presses from South Street Seaport Museum’s working collection. Visitors can take classes in letterpress techniques, or, in the Stationers, purchase hand-printed items or customs prints.

Nothing better than wandering – whether country or city!