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Alex Tatarsky will perform as a gnome guide to the South Philly Meadows at FDR Park, drawing attention to the trees that will be cut down to make way for soccer fields. (Emma Lee/WHYY)
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A magical gnome has been living incognito among the old-growth trees at FDR Park in South Philadelphia. As those trees are being threatened by clearcutting, the gnome emerges this Sunday to show humans their favorites.
Underneath the gnome blazes a fire.
“Some of Philadelphia’s oldest, most beautiful, most important trees are about to meet their death, are about to be chopped down,” explained Alex Tatarsky, who portrays the gnome. “The gnome is very upset and very sad, trying to get people to come out and fall in love with these trees so that we can try to save some of them.”
Tatarsky is a clown-trained performance artist who last year embodied a similar gnome in a different landscape, on the grounds of the historic Glen Foerd estate. Their normally absurdist character will adopt a more strident activist tone on Sunday in opposition to the city of Philadelphia’s plan to develop 150 acres of wild wetland meadows into recreational fields.
While that development plan is already afoot — 70 acres have already been cleared and a mountain of dirt has been piled onsite — future phases of the plan are to clear hundreds of trees to develop the rest of the property, some as manufactured wetlands.
Although solitary by nature, the gnome joined with Save the Meadows to engage people in the effort to protect the trees.
The gnome is also aware that the 2 p.m. performance on Sunday afternoon will be just hours before the Super Bowl, the world’s most-watched television event.
“The gnome is definitely aware that the Super Bowl is nigh,” Tatarsky said. “Folks who want to protect and celebrate this natural landscape are not opposed to athletic fields. It’s not, like, tree huggers vs. sports fanatics. The artificial turf the city wants to put in is dangerous and toxic. It’s a very short-sighted vision for making a safe, healthy place for children to play.”
A gnome, simply named Gnome (“They’ll get to know‘m,” Tatarsky joked) will lead audience members on an approximately 50-minute walking tour of a limited section of The Meadows, introducing them to the threatened trees as though they were friends.
One such tree is a mature river birch, a species appearing on the city’s list of protected heritage trees that cannot be cut down without a permit. Of the hundreds of trees slated to be cut down as part of the development, about 50 are identified as heritage trees.
Tatarsky, like many others in Philadelphia, first discovered The Meadows during the pandemic. The land had been a golf course, which closed in 2019 in preparation for the planned renovations. However the onset of the COVID-19 emergency delayed progress, which allowed the land to grow wild. It quickly became an outdoor refuge for many Philadelphians during a time when recreational opportunities were scarce.
Inspired by Dr. Seuss’ “The Lorax” and the 1992 animated film “FernGully,” about pixies in a rainforest, Tatarsky said the mostly improvised performance will highlight the feeling of communing with trees.
“What’s happening with the destruction of our natural wonderland can be so devastating that we cut ourselves off from feeling anger about it, feeling grief,” they said. “I believe that the job of the gnome is to get us in touch with our feelings, and let that move us towards action.”
Tatarsky is not personally part of Save the Meadows, which has been mobilizing action against the city’s development plan for years. When they were approached to bring their gnome to FDR, they quickly put together a performance.
Save the Meadows will be at the performance to encourage audience members to attend a public meeting to oppose the clearcutting of trees.
“Save The Meadows is providing support to the gnome, who is not really a logistical mastermind,” Tatarsky said. “Being a magical woodland creature, the gnome isn’t amazing at keeping track of the exact time of the zoning board meeting, for instance.”
A point of information for gnomes and otherwise: The next opportunity for the public to be heard will be on Tuesday February 13, at a Registered Community Organization (RCO) meeting, when Friends of FDR and the Packer Park Civic Organization will discuss the future of The Meadows.
“Gnome Core” will be performed at FDR Park at 2 p.m. Sunday, in the picnic meadow behind the Community Clubhouse. It’s free.
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