Throughout August, Freshkills Park researchers have been monitoring the diversity of fish species in the park’s Main Creek. This research has been ongoing since 2016 as a means of staying up to date on the health and quality of the aquatic ecosystems at the park.
...MOREIn 2018, NYC Parks researchers monitored the fish species in the waterways of Freshkills Park. This ongoing research has helped to document the fish in the creeks since 2016. The data provide insight into the health of the fish populations, as well as the food availability for wading birds like the great egrets and great blue herons seen foraging in the park.
...MOREIn 2016, NYC Parks researchers began ongoing work to survey the fish species living in Freshkills Park’s waterways through a seining program. The data provide insight into the health of the fish populations, as well as the food availability for wading birds like the great egrets and great blue herons seen foraging in the park.
...MOREThanks to Connie Fishman and all who attended her talk in our Freshkills Park Talks series two weeks back. It was an entertaining and educational look at the history and development of Hudson River Park, including a look at the never-realized Westway project and its legacy in the civic discourse about the park.
...MOREThe following tour information is provided by Classic Harbor Line:
Key Points about this Tour:
Wetlands are a habitat that transitions from water to land. Wetlands are one of most productive ecosystems and provide many ecosystem services. Wetlands are important wildlife habitat and provide storm surge protection. In tidal wetlands, like at Freshkills Park, water levels vary with the cyclic changes of the tide cycle.
...MOREWhen Lenape Native Americans lived in the Fresh Kills area, the wetlands served as habitat for animals, birds, and bivalves, providing hunting and fishing grounds.
The name “Fresh Kills” comes from the Middle Dutch word kille, meaning “riverbed” or “water channel.”
...MOREWetlands reduce shoreline erosion, or the wearing away of land by elements such as water. They absorb wave energy and allow for the storage of large volumes of water. This is especially important during large storms to reduce flooding and storm damage.
...MORERaptors are birds of prey, made up of hawks, owls, vultures, eagles, Osprey, falcons, kites and Caracaras. They have strong talons for catching and grasping prey and hooked beaks for tearing flesh. Raptors are apex predators and play an important role in maintaining ecosystem balance by keeping the populations of their prey species at sustainable levels.
...MORERaptors are birds of prey, made up of hawks, owls, vultures, eagles, Osprey, falcons, kites and Caracaras.
...MOREFreshkills Park’s grasslands, wetlands, and woodlands, are home to numerous birds and other wildlife.
Cliff Swallows Discovered (2021)
Sedge Wren Return to Nest (2021)
Fledgling Season for Osprey (2021)
Sedge Wren Discovered (2020)
Osprey Fledgling Cam (2020)
Osprey Monitoring (2020)
Bird Banding Reveals New Species (2019)
Winter Birding
Weird Duck Time
Sparrows of Freshkills
Grassland Birds
Raptors of Freshkills
Insects & Environmental Health
Grassland Pollinators
Motion Sensor Cameras Wildlife Footage
Red Fox Monitoring Project
Bivalves: Ribbed Mussels & Oysters
Fish Monitoring Seining
Superstorms & Wetlands
Urban Forest: Trees on the New Springville Greenway
Biodiversity in New York City
Freshkills Park Grasslands: Good for the Birds, Good for the Climate
Soil Moisture provides insight on Bird Preferences
Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz (2021)
6th Annual City Nature Challenge (2021)
Backyard Birdcount (2021)
Christmas Bird Count (2020)
September 26th was World Environmental Health Day. The health of the environment is dependent on rich biodiversity, from the oceans to the forests to the grasslands. Freshkills Park is an active reclaimed grassland environment that is home to a wide variety of birds, fish, mammals, and insects.
...MOREThe following tour information is provided by Classic Harbor Line:
Key Points about this Tour:
The following tour information is provided by Classic Harbor Line:
Key Points about this Tour:
As the colorful warblers, flycatchers, and tanagers move south to escape the blustery winters of the northeast, the first few weeks of fall bring a rush of cool air and changing leaves. However, this change of season also brings in some very unusual waterfowl to our area.
...MORE