The LES Ecology Center gave me a new perspective on the island I live on, the once called “Manna-hata”. This field trip taught me why certain areas flood over others in Manhattan by utilizing a website called “welikia.org”. Using this website we can understand where marsh and wetlands resided by using an overlay of the pre european settled island. This website not only showcases what flora and fauna lived on Manhattan but also the huge difference dredging had on the island. We can see how much of Manhattans island was man made and taken away to widen the east and hudson rivers. We also learnt about the maintenance and volunteer effort the center places on their park as the city only permits one gardener which is absolutely crazy for the amount of land the park covers. Understanding the positive impact oysters have on the river ecosystem was also new to me and gave me a new found appreciation of their simple form.
LES Ecology Center (Response)
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