Helping Carl Schurz Park become iNaturalist-ready
Carl Schurz Park is about a mile from where I live. It's on the East River. The park includes a very nice wide promenade/esplanade right along the river's edge, because that part of the FDR highway is covered over. Also, Gracie Mansion is inside the park -- that's the historic house where the mayor of NYC lives.
The views from the esplanade in the park are really pretty. Depending where you are standing, and which way you are facing, across a large expanse of water you can see the north end of Roosevelt Island, parts of Queens, Randall's Island (which I love), and Mill Rock. The large watery expanse is where, to the west, the East River becomes the Harlem River (a narrow inlet which joins up with the Hudson River). To the east, the water is called Hell Gate, and that water can be turbulent. Hell Gate eventually joins up with Long Island Sound. It's all part of the complicated geography of the estuary of the Hudson. The water is all saltwater, estuarine habitat.
Carl Schurz Park (CSP) itself is gorgeous, very pretty indeed. It is extremely well planted with mature trees, bushes and flowers, has very interesting and varied topography, and is superbly maintained. Carl Schurz Park Conservancy (CSPC) has been improving the park for many years now, and it has become an internationally known showcase, thanks to the efforts of a large band of dedicated volunteer gardeners.
Recently I was contacted by CSPC and I have been helping them get a little more completely set up with iNaturalist. There is now a Carl Schurz Park Biodiversity Project:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/carl-schurz-park-biodiversity-project
based on Carl Schurz Park Open Space:
https://www.inaturalist.org/places/carl-schurz-park
In NYC, every park is a de facto nature preserve, no matter how well-gardened it may be. I would encourage anyone who either lives in this area, or visits it, to come check out this lovely park and all the wild critters that live there. We are keen to get more iNat observations. Please join the Carl Schurz Park Biodiversity Project. Thank you.
I have already led one CSP simple short nature walk for the volunteer gardeners (some wild ferns, mosses and lichens), and during the warmer weather I hope to lead a few more (one on spontaneous plants, one on insects and other arthropods, and maybe one on plant pathogens.) You are welcome to join us in our attempts to lean more about what lives in, and visits, this beautiful park.
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Just a great project, Susan! And, what a description. I have never been there though it is only a few blocks from my Wednesday morning events in the City. I'd love to set up a time to visit the park with you in the Spring.
Hey Sandy! I would be very glad to walk around Carl Schurz Park with you in the spring, once the weather is nice. I am going to Nevis, West Indies soon -- Mar 16th, and will be back from Nevis in mid-April. Remind me if I forget!
Looks great! :)
Sam, if you ever visit NYC, I will walk you around this park. :)
I am doing two events at this park for the City Nature Challenge. When I get the final OK from the Conservancy, I will send the info to Kelly O'Donnell to post up on the master list for NYC events.
@sadawolk --- want to visit this park before the weather gets really super hot?
@susanhewitt Yes, Susan, would love to visit this park with you. I am not, however, going to be coming into the City on Wednesday, until June 26th. Do you think you could do it then? I finish at 11:30 at 1440 York Ave. and could meet you and walk up to the park. What say you?
June 26th at 11:30 or so sounds good to me, as far as I can tell. We should confirm the day before, but I wrote it on my calendar. I will have to see how my leg is then, because walking there, and then walking around the park, and then walking back again is almost certainly way too much walking for my leg. I might have to meet you there, or you could call me when you are ready and I could pick you up in a cab.
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