April TAKING ROOT News
ReLeaf Workshops and Conference, Seneca Village, Olmsted at 200, Tree City Awards, New Leadership for NYC Parks, FLCC Professorship, more! Read this month's TAKING ROOT news here and subscribe here.
6
04, 2022
17
03, 2022
Seneca Village, Central Park, and Considering the Consequences of Community Expropriation in the Creation of Parks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct9iepqScxk&ab_channel=Smarthistory Above: a superb video and conversation between archeologist Dr. Diana Wall and art historian Dr. Steven Zucker about Seneca Village, the predominantly Black community that was razed in the process of creating Central Park. Alex Martin Seneca Village, Central Park, and Considering the Consequences [...]
17
03, 2022
New NYC Parks Leadership: Susan Donoghue and Iris Rodriguez-Rosa
Last month, according to an official press release, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the appointment of two officials who will carry out his vision for a more equitable parks system where all New Yorkers can enjoy the physical, mental, and emotional benefits that open space [...]
27
12, 2021
The State of the Urban Forest in New York City: New Release from The Nature Conservancy
Council Board Member and Lead Scientist for the Cities Program with The Nature Conservancy in New York Dr. Michael Treglia shares this news from his team. The Nature Conservancy in New York’s Cities Program recently released a report, The State of the Urban Forest in New York [...]
25
10, 2021
Georgia Silvera Seamans on Ginkgo: Notches, Edible Seeds, Synchronous Leaf Drop and More
Ginkgo in Manhattan's Washington Square Park exhibiting synchronous leaf drop. Story and photos by Georgia Silvera Seamans, Washington Square Park Eco Projects Director With diameters at breast height (DBH) ranging from 15 to 25 inches (38 to 64 cm), and given that the DBH-to-age conversion [...]
22
09, 2021
The Storied English Elm of Washington Square Park, with Georgia Silvera Seamans
The beloved shade-giving Washington Square Park English elm tree (Ulmus procera), which provides cavities and foraging for birds, squirrels, and raccoons, among other wildlife. All photos by Georgia Silvera Seamans This is the first in a series by Washington Square Park Eco Projects Director Georgia [...]
26
01, 2021
Sublime “Downtown Doors” Series Photo-Documents Staten Island Trees & Homes from 1940 to Today
This towering black tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica) in Staten Island’s West New Brighton neighborhood (at left, in 1940; at right, in 2020) really caught my attention this season. Although black tupelo generally occupies wet woods habitats, it can thrive under a variety of soil conditions. I’m gratified [...]
16
10, 2020
View Two “Creating Connections: Volunteers and Professionals” Webinars
The recent NYC ReLeaf two-part webinar series on Creating Connections: Volunteers and Professionals can still be viewed. Council Cofounder and Environmental Educator Nancy Wolf gave high marks to the series, noting, "I thought Maritza and Suzannah's presentation [on Environmental Education in a Natural Setting] was simply the [...]
31
08, 2020
Washington Square Park Eco Projects & Co-founder Georgia Silvera Seamans
Georgia Silvera Seamans (center) with the interactive Washington Square Park Eco Projects Mobile Exhibit. Photo Courtesy Street Lab Georgia Silvera Seamans is the co-founding director of Washington Square Park Eco Projects in New York City. She is an urban forester, independent researcher, and writer. Georgia has [...]
26
07, 2020
Research: Which NYC Urban Green Spaces Support More Bird Species and Why?
Excerpted from a July 21, 2020 eBird article by Kathi Borgmann, "Larger urban green spaces support more bird species in New York City" In a study out this week in Landscape and Urban Planning, Frank La Sorte, a research associate at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and [...]