NYC Parks – Georgia Silvera Seamans

New Zelkova Trees in Washington Square Park Thriving in Sandy Loam Soil

When Washington Square Park underwent a major reconstruction in the 2000s, large Japanese pagoda trees (Styphnolobium japonicum) circling the fountain were removed. The new design for the fountain plaza included seven Zelkova (Zelkova serrata) trees. Four of the original seven died and were replaced several times. I happened to be in the park on April […]

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Impact of Soil Mounding in Washington Square Park Woodland

The largest lawn in the northwest corner of Washington Square Park is being restored. Much of the lawn has been spray seeded. Sod was installed in the sunny southeast nook.This area of the park is also the largest wooded area in the park. I am concerned about the grade changes in this area of the […]

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Bird Species Diversity in New York City Parks

What accounts for species diiversity, specifically species richness, in an urban park? Is it the size of the park? Is it habitat diversity within the park? Is it the location of the park relative to birds’ migration route? I am interested in these questions because of my interest in urban ecology, but also specifically because […]

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Brook Park Wetland, Bronx, NY

I visited Brook Park in February 2014 and spoke with Harry Bubbins, then director of the Friends of Brook Park about a proposal for a wet meadow in the park which sits on the historic Mill Brook. The project summary below is excerpted from the post, 5 Lessons from NYC Stormwater Projects for Rebuild by Design. […]

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Washington Square Park Loses Three Canopy Trees

Image: Inonotus dryadeus–infected pin oak in Washington Square Park On a routine walk about in Washington Square Park on July 18, 2017, I observed fungal growth at the base of one of the red oaks, a pin oak specifically, in the large NW lawn of the park. I uploaded photos of the fungus to iNaturalist for […]

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Using NYC Parks as Classrooms – Learning to Garden with Acorns in Washington Square Park

Have you ever planted an acorn? Maybe you’ve worked on a woodland restoration project and planted acorns in a natural setting? Last Saturday we attended an acorn planting workshop led by Kaslin Daniels, the head gardener at Washington Square Park. We planted acorns in terra-cotta pots. Kaslin asked open ended questions about what seeds look, […]

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