If you're the type who thinks dirt and pollution are exclusively Brazilian themes, then it's time to take a look at Gowanus, located in New York (United States). The space won an unpleasant title: that of one of the most polluted water courses in the country.
Pretty annoying, huh?
Luckily, there are small solutions to big problems. And they can be very effective! This is proven by the GrowOnUs initiative. It is a small floating garden formed by 30 species of plants that act as filters in the time to clean the impurities of the water.
According to the site Takepart, the plants interact with the waters of the canal through a process known as phytoremediation - a complicated name to define the use of plants as purification agents. The environment under the island functions as habitat for mussels, which also act as auxiliaries in cleaning the water.
Although it seems simple, the installation of the structure was only possible thanks to a $20,000 grant offered by the Cornelia & Michael Bessie Foundation to the design agency Balmori Associates. Installed in 2015, the floating garden is slowly changing the face of the canal - and can even be used as a floating vegetable garden in the future.