A meandering path leads to the stone carpet
showing the food web of the local stream.


University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania


Sandblasted Pennsylvania bluestone, cast glass, red-stemmed dogwoods

15-foot-wide x 15-foot-long stone terrace; 6-foot-wide x 400-foot-long path

Commissioned by the Morris Arboretum


A meandering path of native dogwoods take arboretum visitors to the stone terrace of the Wisshickon Food Web blasted in the stone, the gastronomic life of the stream is detailed in finely etched images of the microorganism and macroorganism that eat and are eaten.


This terrace is sandblasted with a visual food web of bacteria, protozoa, and macroorganisms like crayfish and trout. 

In addition to the sandblasted text and images that show each creature in detail, an accompanying paper guide describes how to read the food web.  

The terrace is edged with glass tiles that reflect the colors of water in the sunshine.