the nature of hudson river park · 2012-05-04 · hudson river park news fall 2006 the millennium...

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Hudson River Park News Fall 2006


. . . a look at some of Hudson River Park’s natural treasures

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The Nature of Hudson River Park

It’s been an exciting season here at Hudson River Park: the Trust hosted its signature Take Me to the River summer events series including Blues & BBQ, RiverRocks, RiverFlicks and MoonDance. Tens of thousands of visitors came to enjoy the sun and water. Meanwhile, construction is ongoing at multiple sights.

As the season comes to a close and the Park becomes a little more tranquil, our natural residents both on land and in the water become a little more noticeable to our human visitors. This newsletter is devoted to some of the natural beauty of Hudson River Park.

* while supplies last

Trees, Grass and Gardens . . .

Black Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica)

Not to be confused with Tupelo, Mississippi (the birthplace of Elvis),

the Black Tupelo is a strong tree preferring direct sunlight to shade. In

the summer, the Tupelo has glossy dark green leaves, which turn red, yellow, orange, purple and scarlet in the fall, providing a spectacularly colorful display. When mature, the Tupelo can reach heights of 20 to

30 feet and produces the bluish fruit that is a favorite of many in the

Park’s bird population.

three-quarters of Hudson River Park’s total 550 acres of land and water is occupied by the river itself, the remainder is home to an impressive variety of land-based natural resources in the form of trees, grass and gardens. These provide shade, a place to sit and sunbathe, productive habitat for insects and birds, pleasing aromas and visual delights.

Hudson River Park is home to many species of trees. These include pines, tupelos, sweetgum, golden rain, ginko and as many as 11 species of oaks. Each type of tree has its own special characteristics that make it suitable bothin appearance and durability for the Park’s rugged waterfront environment.

Willow Oak (Quercus phellos)

This hardy oak is a great acorn producer and as such provides food for some of the animal inhabitants of Hudson River Park. The Willow Oak’s leaves resemble those of a Willow Tree—hence its name. They are approximately 2 to 5 inches long and

Although

Sweetgum Tree (Liquidamer stryracifula)

The Sweetgum or gum tree is perfect for Hudson River Park as it is particularly suited to a waterfront environment and known for producing great shade. The tree produces large, shiny star-shaped

leaves that turn a dazzling shade of red in the autumn. The Sweetgum can grow upwards of 100 feet and produces a fruit that looks like a spike-covered green sphere.

are bright green in the summer, turning to yellow in the fall. The Willow Oak can grow to approximately 40 to 60 feet and enjoys bright sun, making it ideal for the Park, where most of the trees are spread out over a broad area rather than clustered together.

Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos)



The Millennium Garden, located near the Charles Street entrance to the Greenwich Village section, was designed by The Garden Club of America, New York Chapter. The garden features a spiral path that winds through beds of Salvia including Indigo, Azure and White. Other features include Forsythia and a continuous border of Juniper trees. The space for the Garden is located right next to Hudson River Park’s Esplanade and borders a unique feature known

as a ‘bow notch’. Essentially a semi-circle cut into the bulkhead long ago to accommodate the bow of a ship, the bow notch (with its pedestrian bridge) now allows visitors to hear the sounds of the Hudson’s waves splashing against the bulkhead as they visit the Garden. The Garden also includes The Apple, by

Gardens

Stephen Weiss, a large bronze sculpture at the center of the spiral path. The Apple includes a beautiful seating bench as part of its structure allowing Park visitors to sit and contemplate the splendid Garden and the majestic Hudson River.

Besides its many trees and lush lawns, Park plans include many gardens. Currently, there is an exceptionally beautiful one in Greenwich Village known as the Millennium Garden.

Weeds.Yes we have them.

When our dedicated horticultural staff refers to Bluegrass they aren’t usually talking about music, but rather about the special blend of grass that is used for the Park’s lawns and meadows.

The official name for the grass is Tuckahoe Bluegrass Athletic Blend, and it is comprised of different species of grass specifically engineered for durability.

“The reason for selecting this particular blend of grass for the Park is that it withstands heavy use better than many other varieties,” says Lee White, Director of Horticulture for the Hudson River Park Trust. “Pier 45, especially, with a lawn that spans more than 200 yards, needs resilient grass cover due to the thousands of sunbathers that use it each sunny day throughout the summer.”

Grassy areas currently open are located in the Clinton Cove, Pier 84, Chelsea Waterside, 14th Street and Greenwich Village sections and can be used for sunbathing, picnicking or simply taking off your shoes and going for a barefoot stroll.

In addition to all its beautifully “intended” plantings, Hudson River Park gets weeds just like any other garden would.

“A weed is generally defined as an unwanted plant or a plant that is out of place,” says Lee White, Director of Horticulture for the Hudson River Park Trust. “Weeds are hard to control because they tend to be very adaptive, hardy and reproduce at a high rate. Even though some have an attractive appearance, weeds are not desirable as they compete with the Park’s other plantings for food, light and water. Additionally, many weeds provide a home for insects that can be harmful to our other plant life,” adds White.

In all possible cases, the Trust engages in hand removal of weeds before they mature and are able to spread seeds. Mulching in both the summer and the fall has also proven to be an effective measure for weed control with the added benefits of creating an even soil temperature and retaining moisture — two important elements for good plant growth. After all other measures have been exhausted, a New York State Licensed Technician applies the lowest level of herbicide possible to the affected area.

“We take great care to use herbicides only as a last resort here at the Park, and when we do we are very careful to post signage in the area being treated and to use the lowest strength possible,” says White.

The avian population of Hudson River Park is varied and beautiful.

Some spend their entire lives here while others just visit as they migrate to the north or south. Birds that

populate Hudson River Park – with names like Cormorant,

Bufflehead and Coot – are a very diverse group

and display many fascinating characteristics.

Double-Crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)

The Double-Crested Cormorant resembles a cross between a duck and a heron that got caught in an oil slick. This seabird is extremely prevalent in the lower Hudson and New York Harbor. A migratory bird, the Cormorant spends the warmer months in the park fishing. As its plumage is not waterproofed, such as that of a duck, the Cormorant must pull itself from the water to allow its feathers to dry. Because of the need to ‘dry-out’, Cormorants can frequently be seen atop one of the Park’s many piles, left over from the piers that used to be supported by them.

“I’m frequently asked by the many classes and camps that utilize Hudson River Park for field trips, ‘What are these lank y black birds that keep diving into the water, and what are they doing?’” says Kerry

Dawson, Vice President of the Hudson River Park Trust’s

Department for Environment and Education. “I explain that this is the Double-Crested Cormorant and that they are just looking for a fine sushi meal on Manhattan’s trendy West Side,” Dawson adds, lightheartedly.

The Bufflehead is a migratory diving sea duck that eats insects, plants and minor crustaceans. Its name is derived from the male duck’s distinctive white cap, which begins just behind the eye and extends over the rear portion of the head. Buffleheads make their appearance in the Park on temporary layovers as they travel to warmer climates for the winter months. They are the smallest ducks in North America and, unlike most other ducks, are generally monoga-mous.

Looking very much like a duck with a pointed bill, the American Coot actually belongs to the Rail species.

A migratory guest of the Park, the Coot moves like a duck through the water, but astoundingly does not have webbed

feet. In order to accomplish this feat, the Coot has lobes located on each of its toes that are used as mini-paddles.

Also interesting are the Coot’s distinctive head movements, which it bobs forward and backward as it swims.

American Coot (Fulica americana)

Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)

Hudson River Park is for the Birds!


Fish, Crabs and Clams – not a raw bar, but an Estuarine Sanctuary

Striped Bass (Morone Saxatilis)

Looking like a visitor from the Jurassic Age, the bottom dwelling Sea Robin has fanlike pectoral fins which are accompanied by finger-like appendages that serve to help it stir-up the bottom of the Hudson in search of a meal. Sea Robins eat anything and everything they can fit in their mouths including shrimp, crabs, amphipods, bivalve mollusks, annelid worms, fish and even seaweed.

Hudson River Park’s waters are home to numerous species of fish, crustaceans and invertebrates. Each species contributes in its own unique way to the ecology of the Park’s Estuary and helps in turn to maintain the balance of life within Hudson River Park. Here are just a few of the Park’s marine inhabitants. For more information please visit www.hudsonriverpark.org/facilities/environprograms.htm. In particular, take a look at the newly released Cornell University study, which recently assessed Hudson River Park’s marine population.

Anchovies (Anchoa mitchilli)

Hudson River Park’s waters are teeming with Bay Anchovies. These anchovies are not the type you would find in a can or at your local pizzeria, but rather are smaller, more transparent fish. Bay Anchovies consume plankton and in turn serve as an abundant food source to other Hudson River Park fish year round.

Striped Bass, also known as “the Slayers of Westway”, are a big part of why the Park exists today. In the 1970’s, the Striped Bass and their activities served as fodder for a successful challenge to the Army Corps of Engineers’ environmental assessment of the proposed Westway project. Westway, which would have buried the Westside Highway under the Hudson and filled in a portion of the river from the bulkhead to the pierhead line below 35th Street, would also have eliminated a portion of the Hudson River Estuary that is particularly important to the juvenile striped bass. Striped Bass, which are now quite plentiful in the park, have characteristic dark horizontal stripes running from gill to tail and attain an average weight of 30 pounds.

Once a plentiful food source for Native Americans and early European settlers of Manhattan, oysters have only just begun to reclaim their place in the Hudson River Park estuary. Oysters breathe using gills and a blood vessel-lined mantle that filters oxygen from the water. Oysters’ main food source is plankton, which they draw into their gills using fine hair-like cilia. Due first to over-farming and then pollution during the industrial age, the oyster population has dropped dramatically in the lower Hudson. With the river becoming cleaner in recent decades, plans to seed New York Harbor with oysters are under development.

For further information visit environment.cornell.edu.

SeaRobin (Prinonotus

carolinus)

Oysters(Pteriidae Ostreidae)



Construction of Pier 84 was just completed in October 2006 and this spectacular pier is now open for public enjoyment. One of the Park’s largest and busiest piers, located at West 44th Street, just north of the Circle Line, Pier 84 will serve millions of tourists and New Yorkers each year.

The design includes a formal plaza with seating and a dynamic water display fountain, a water-based play and education area for children, a community garden and dog run, a large green lawn, and one of the Park’s four non-motorized boathouses. A small waterside café and park store will complete the experience.

This crab is notable for its distinctive blue claws and in recent years has become more plentiful in the Hudson River Park Sanctuary. An adept swimmer, the blue crab has two rear legs shaped like paddles that allow it not only to swim forward but also sideways. While many crabs are scavengers, the blue crab is a predator and has powerful pincers which it uses to catch its prey, including clams, oysters, anchovies, and sometimes even younger crabs.

Pier 84 Opens!

Blue Crab(Callinectes sapidus)


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the nature of hudson river park · 2012-05-04 · hudson river park news fall 2006 the millennium...

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