My name is Gwen Lohse and I am the programming associate Americorps civil service member at The Freshkills Park Alliance. I am currently a student at Hunter College CUNY, on track to graduate with a Bachelors in environmental studies with a concentration in earth systems science.

My name is Shannon Erickson. I recently graduated from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University with my Master of Public Administration focused on environmental policy and administration. Prior to that, I earned my Bachelor of Science from Binghamton University, SUNY in environmental science with an ecosystems concentration.

Recognize this plant? Mugwort is a common name for several species of flowering plants in the Artemisia genus. In North America, most species of mugwort are invasive species that frequent disturbed sites such as forest, roadsides, and pastures. Mugwort displaces native plants by outcompeting them for nutrients and sunlight.

Hi! My name is Gaby Kucher and I am the new LEAF (Learning, Explore, Activate, and Foster) Coordinator, part of City Service Corps! I’m a long-time Staten Island resident and a student at Brooklyn College completing my Bachelor of Science in Earth and Environmental Science.

Coloring books are not only a fun activity for your younger ones, but beneficial to an audience of all age ranges. For older folk, this activity allows for the fear and stress center in the brains to relax. For the younger crowds, coloring pages can help develop fine motor skills.

Hello everyone! My name is Liz Campos and I am a summer intern hired through Queens College.  I am so excited to be working at Freshkills Park! Currently I am a rising junior with a major in political science and am considering a minor in communications.

On Thursday, June 9th, a group from Lifestyles for the Disabled visited Freshkills Park to learn about the history of Freshkills as it continues to evolve from a landfill to a verdant grassland habitat – the largest park developed in New York City in more than a century. 

Students across New York City are visiting Freshkills Park to collect data on invasive species and take action to protect this reclaimed ecosystem.

There is a newcomer to the grasslands and wetlands in Freshkills Park: spotted lanternflies, an invasive species that can wreak havoc on trees and other plants.

Hi! My name is Brittney Williamson and I’m the new Community Engagement Fellow at Freshkills Park! Born and raised on the North Shore of Staten Island and a transfer student from Syracuse University, I’ve recently completed my undergraduate studies at CUNY John Jay College, earning two degrees:  a Bachelor of Science in Security Management with a minor in Mathematics and a Bachelor of Art in Philosophy.

On Saturday, April 23rd, the Freshkills Park Alliance hosted our first Earth Day Festival at our Studio + Gallery’s newly refurbished outdoor space. In the weeks leading up to the event, dozens of volunteers helped beautify the space to promote the growth of environmentally beneficial plants and to prepare it for hosting our community for a day of fun and educational activities.  

Highlights:

• There are some important general features of nest boxes to benefit birds
• Nest boxes are generally designed with a particular species in mind,
• Location is important when deciding which species you wish to attract
• Remember to report your sighting to Project NestWatch

Within the next few weeks, migrating birds will be returning to our area for the spring and summer.

During the summer of 2021, Derrick Chen and Daniel Alshansky of Staten Island Technical High School conducted arthropod (arthropods: phylum Arthropoda, a group of invertebrates that includes insects and arachnids) surveys at Freshkills Park as part of their Terra New York City STEM Fair research project.

On a balmy day in January (40 degrees and sunny) several Freshkills Park staff visited North Park Phase 1 to observe the progress and watch the erection of the bird tower.  Thanks to one amateur photographer, we can bring you behind the construction in the video below. 

Highlights:

•     Seven groups of 40 volunteers recorded 25,287 individual birds, and 118 species

•     The most common birds recorded were Canada Goose, European Starling, Ringed-bill Gull, Herring gull and White-throated Sparrow

•     Highlights for the Freshkills Park territory included Orange-crowned Warblers and a Baltimore Oriole

 On December 18th Staten Island held its annual National Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count.

The trees are bare and snow flurries have started, signs that the heart of winter is approaching. As we brace for frigid temperatures and layers upon layers of clothes, it is hard to imagine this weather could be favorable for wildlife.

This past Fall, the Tracey Morgan Gallery presented Jade Doskow: Freshkills, a new exhibition of photographs taken at Freshkills Park.  The exhibit was on display from September 17 through October 30, 2021.

Doskow’s large-scale photographs of the iconic New York City landfill-turned-park make clear its’ paradoxical, ethereal beauty, while creating an important archive of a major chapter in the story of New York City’s infrastructure.

On behalf of the Freshkills Park Alliance and NYC Parks, we want to thank you- our volunteers- for the energy and committment you provided over the past year.   Knowing that everyone is balancing multiple priorities, it is incredibly meaningful to have had so much help from our volunteers and friends.

Highlights: 

• Freshkills Park is home to a number of raptors throughout the year
• New York State threatened and endangered species such as Northern Harriers, Short-eared Owls, and Bald Eagles are found regularly at Freshkills Park

Raptors are birds of prey, made up of hawks, owls, vultures, eagles, Osprey, falcons, kites and Caracaras. 

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.

Piece Contributed By Mary Lee  

Mary Lee is a Science teacher and Science enrichment coordinator at St. Clare School and an adjunct professor at St. John’s University in the Education Department on Staten Island. After connecting with Rachel Aronson, the Education Programming Coordinator with the Freshkills Park Alliance, she involved her students in piloting the new Freshkills Grasslands Curriculum at different levels.