I originally chose the Mushrooms group so I could learn how to identify and find edible mushrooms, but after the Bioblitz session with an actual mycologist, I am more hesitant  to eat things I find growing from the ground.

Most of the mushrooms we found we relatively harmless; there were several that were edible under certain conditions. For example, the “Inky Cap” is eaten by some people, but never with alcohol since it can cause a nauseating reaction. For that reason, it is sometimes given to alcoholics to help treat their disease.

At first, my group was pretty unenthused about walking around looking for mushrooms. Many of them hadn’t actually signed up for the group, and were just put there when they got to the Macaulay building. However, our specialist’s enthusiasm and love for mycology was so influential, that pretty soon everyone was keeping their eyes peeled for anything resembling fungi.

The highlight of the session occurred on our way back to the headquarters of the gardens. Our group leader pulled us to the base of an old tree and directed our attention to an inconspicuous little white mushroom. I though he was going to point out a common edible species, like ones you might find in a grocery store. However, once he spoke the name, it was clear that it was only going to be edible…once.

Destroying Angel.

Its white flesh was unmarked; there were no bright spots that yelled “toxic”. However, as our guide gleefully pointed out, once ingested, the toxins in the mushroom would begin to eat at your vital organs, and you’ll be dead within 24 hours.

And that’s enough to deter me from foraging by myself!

Due to a registration issue, I was not assigned to work with my beloved spiders, but instead with the less interesting plants alternative. More than a little bummed, I faced the fate of the boredom that would approach. But the big surprise for me was how interesting the plants could be.

We didn’t walk too far before we started to pick out plants and learn about their underlying intricacies. Plants that seemed common and dull each had an interesting quality to them when viewed through the eyes of an expert. I don’t think we walked more than 20 feet because we kept finding new plants to ask about. We learned something interesting about every plant in a five foot radius, and it took us the entire period to do so. One plant had a seed pod that explode when you touched it. One plant was similar to what they put in Absinthe. One plant, if eaten, would cause a mitogenic breakdown, essentially cancer.

This made me realize just how interesting and important even the smallest section of nature can be. I shouldn’t discount New York’s parks just because they aren’t forests. A lot can be packed into small spaces, and what appears mundane may actually be very special.

This made me think that scientist, at least the good ones, give everything a chance to surprise them. They don’t assume right off the bat that a specimen will behave this way or that way. They follow the process without judgement and see what will come their way. Listening to our leader talk about his work in the field, it made me a little jealous that I wasn’t the one discovering new plants. And that a big deal, coming from a spider lover.

I am a nature enthusiast—whether it be running through a trail in an dense forest near my home in New Jersey or scuba diving in a lake filled with various fish and plant species, I can’t get enough. So when I heard that Macaulay was making a visit to the NYBG, I was super excited. With my hair tied back, my running sneakers on, and my skin lathered with sunscreen, I stolled through just a small section of NYBG (specifically Lat 40.87 and Long -73.88), examining several plant species with fellow Macaulay students.

Our endeavor to identify specific species was rather difficult. Even though we had huge books (the size of Harry Potter books!) with helpful keys to refer to, we had to constantly ask our guide, who had a PhD in Biology, to give us hints on how to start skimming through the book and name the species. Nevertheless, we were still able to categorize the plants by asking several questions: (1) Are the leaves simple or compound? (2) Is the plant a dicot or a monocot? (3) Are the leaves alternate or simple? (4) Are the sinuses between the principle leaf lobes rounded or blunt? (5) If they have flowers, how many petals do they have? Are they regular or irregular? What color are they?

Having these questions in mind helped us weed out (*pun intended*) several types of plants till we were down to between two to five species. At that point, we referred to Google Images and our knowledgeable guide to put a name to the specie in front of us.

Although we came across several species, there were a few that stuck out:

1—Laportea canadensis:

This perennial herbaceous plant, also known as the Canada nettle, is usually found in open woods with moist soil. But be wary: these innocent looking clump-like plants have both stinging and non stinging hairs on the stems and foliage. My fingers were a witness to that; the stinging lingered slightly for a couple of hours.

2—Aster divaricatus

Of all the species that we identified, this one took the most time. Even with a guide, we kept hitting dead ends when using the keys in the provided book. After many tries, we finally identified this white woodland aster that provides nesting material for birds and a seed source for songbirds.

3—Betula lenta

This deciduous tree with alternate green leaves and a rough, gray bark was my favorite during our visit. Twigs of this birch tree have a sweet sap that emits a scent (and taste!) of evergreen. I was so intrigued by the taste that I took a couple of twigs to take back home.

I have always known that nature fosters much variety, but our trip to NYBG really awed me with the countless types of plants that existed there—and this is not including all the other sorts of organisms that call this place home. Not only did the vast assortment and number of plants astound me, but the way that these plants grew next to each other was almost harmonious. While the trees served as a canopy, while the shrubs and wildlflowers that flourished underneath populated the soil, concealing it almost completely. It was beautiful to see how nature in NYC is so ALIVE with creatures and flora that we would never otherwise take the time to recognize. Bioblitz also showed me that scientists are very meticulous and pay attention to the smallest details in categorizing and organizing organisms. This is important to find and record species without becoming confused.

In the end, this trip confirmed what I have always known: nature is all around us, and without it, we will never be able to appreciate all the richness it has to offer us. Within NYC, nature provides us a chance to see how the earth truly is—and this should never be taken for granted.

As I was looking at the BioBlitz sign up sheet, I wondered to myself, “Why do I have to do this?” I was looking forward to a relaxing, comfort-full Sunday. Walking around, while looking for wildlife was not what I had in mind when I imagined my relaxing Sunday. Furthermore, just contemplating the trip and time it would take to get there left me apprehensive about the journey. Nevertheless, unenthusiastic as I was, I eventually decided that the BioBlitz would at least be a bit interesting if I signed up for the reptile group. However, I got to Macaulay too late and was placed in the most boring group I could think of: plants.

When the bus got to the Botanical Gardens, the plant group was assigned the task of walking around Zone 2 and observing the plant life. What awaited me in this location changed my entire view on the BioBlitz. As we approached our designated area, the tremendous beauty of the environment in which we were to step foot became clear and I knew that my day at the Botanical Gardens would not be the waste that I initially thought it would be.

I have always found plants to be somewhat boring. However, as I looked at the lake surrounded by brilliant, vibrant shades of green belonging to tons of different plant species, I couldn’t help but be amazed. We began our BioBlitz by observing the Norway Maple Tree. This tree is an invasive species that is occupying the ecological niche of other maple trees. We then proceeded to learn that it is possible to differentiate Norway maples from other trees by breaking open its branch and checking for white sap. If there is white sap, then the tree is a Norway maple. This information left me dumbfounded. I had always looked at plants as a monolith, even though I knew that plants are diverse. However, this subtle way of differentiating between maples gave me my first real proof that plants are extremely diverse.

Time does indeed fly when you’re having fun and thus, time was racing by for me. Before I knew it, I had entries on iNaturalist for 14 different plant species, including hibiscus flowers, Quercus Alba (White Oak), and Toxicodendron radicans (Poison Ivy). I learned many new awesome facts about the plants we worked with. For example, Salix, which is the genus name for the willow tree, produces a compound that is essential to the synthesis of aspirin. Another cool fact I learned was that poison ivy plants always have 3 leaves. (Leaves of 3 let it be) The fruit of poison ivy is white (Berries white, run it fright). The most surprising thing about poison ivy is that it’s in the same family as pistachios. The most amazing thing about the exploration was that we barely scratched the tip of the iceberg in terms of all the plant species located near the lake.

I’m glad I went to BioBlitz, if only because it gave me a heightened sense of why I am taking this seminar. I had always understood the theory of biodiversity and conservation. I also thought I sympathized with the goals of conservationists. However, after that trip to the Botanical Gardens, I feel like I now truly understand why conservationists do what they do. That small lake had such richness of life that it could only be described as beautiful. Then, once I learned all the functions plants have in their natural environments, as well as all of the uses humans have found for plants, my conviction in conservation only grew stronger. I return from BioBlitz with greater enthusiasm towards learning about urban biodiversity and how we can protect it.

I went into bioblitz expecting to not enjoy it. My reluctance caused me to sign up late and as a result I was placed in the 6am slot. Upon arrival I was put in the bird group and informed that I was lucky because birds are most active at this ungodly hour, I guess the early bird really does get the worm. My group’s guide Ricky handed us binoculars and we began our nature walk. Surprisingly the further we walked the more I became open to the idea of bird watching, maybe Ricky’s enthusiasm began to rub off on the group.

As it turns out NYC has quite a few birds. We saw sixteen different species and shockingly not one of them was a pigeon. Some of the species we saw were: Blue Robin, Catbird, Mourning Dove, Flicker, Pewee, and most exciting of them all the red tailed hawk. Growing up in Jamaica Bay, I knew that NYC had biodiversity, especially my neighborhood. I attributed this biodiversity to the sheer size of Jamaica Bay and the relatively low human population density. My trip to the New York Botanical garden made me realize the value of maintaining smaller green space.

The type of science we conducted at Botanical Garden was very unfamiliar to me. As a physics major, I’m used to precise calculations and the data we collected seemed far from precise. Understandably it’s the best that can be done in such an open and complex system. I was surprised to learn that taking a thorough census of a relatively small ecosystem like a park was such a large-scale effort. I’ll probably never end up being as enthusiastic about bird watching as Ricky, none the less I ended up having fun. Bioblitz was a pleasant and informative way to spend a Sunday morning. Thank you for the fun event Macaulay.

For a person who has only identified or “I.D-ed” New York City pigeons, bird watching proved to be extremely enlightening. “Enlightening” may seem too extravagant of a word to describe simple bird-watching. There are birds constantly flying about. They relieve themselves mid-air, leaving the remains on your clothes. Their chirping – the earth’s natural alarm clock- are a sad reminder that there are only a few more hours until school begins and the essay is not even complete. Birds are constantly crossing streets without care, causing drivers to have unnecessary panic attack. And that summed up everything that I knew about our neighbors in the skies before Bioblitz. Raising my hand to go into the “birds group” was probably my best decision of the weekend.

I was originally assigned to bees but upon arrival to the New York Botanical Garden, three volunteers were needed to fill the bird group and I immediately joined. Only when our scientist, Tim*, handed a binocular to each of us did I realize that we would not simply walk through exhibit like areas where we would pet the birds, take pictures of them, and feed them.

No. We walked down trail after trail, coming to dozens of forks in the roads, stopping every now and then when we heard a distinct sound we would stand still and squint our eyes through layers of tall trees and branches crossing at all angles. What I realized was how diverse New York City’s birds were. We saw an amazing variety of birds such as an American Robin, a black and white warbler, an American Gold Finch, a Catbird, a European Starling, a Red Wing Blackbird, a Blue Jay, and so many more. Who knew that our own city could host so many birds and how quickly we could learn to differentiate between them. Within those few hours, our group could identify a warbler from a sparrow from a catbird (who’s chirping sounds like a cat scowling) from a European Starling (which is actually an invasive species from Europe). Even more interesting was the fact that we were identifying these birds in their natural habitat. They were not being held in captivity or anything. We were being true observers. Now as I stroll through parks and bike on trails I can identify birds and appreciate them for their unique characteristics.

BioBlitz further demonstrated how vital patience is to the art of observations to get qualitative and quantitative results. Our “scientist”, who in reality is a bird-watching hobbyist, could walk around for hours observing and identifying birds. Listening to their chirping and keeping a sharp eye for movement. We heard a Red Tailed Hawk but did not find it until the last 15 minutes of our session. The patience to go a half hour without spotting a single bird and still keep eyes and ears peeled for movement was admirable. While the group would get tired, he was consistently determined. Such patience and investment allows for good data and efficient research.

I came to the BioBlitz event expecting to work with fish, but instead, I was put into the lichen group. I did not know what a lichen was when I first heard the word. When I finally saw how it looked like, I realized that I’ve seen this organism plenty of times before but had never given much thought to what it was called and what its purpose was.

Lichens are made up of algae and fungi, which form a symbiotic relationship. The algae provide the necessary nutrients for the fungi, while the fungi provide a stable environment for the algae. In order to find a wide range of species of lichen, my group and I searched a forest area in the New York Botanical Garden. Lichens can come in three different forms: crustose, foliose, and fructicose. During the BioBlitz, we used a book that helped us determine which species of lichen we found. This process can be difficult because some species look very similar to one another. We also used a chemical test with potassium and chloride, which created color changes on the lichens and helped us further narrow down the correct species. Throughout the day, we found six different species of lichen. The species we found were the common greenshield, the powderthorn, the whitewash lichen, the fluffy dust lichen, the powder-tipped shadow lichen, and one unidentified species. These specimens were found on rocks and trees.

This experience definitely changed my understanding of nature in New York City. I usually have to take a long drive to the mountains in order to experience the fresh air and green surroundings that living in the city does not provide me with. I got a chance to walk through a forest area that one can find in a green space within the city. While searching for lichens, I realized that there are many things in nature that we overlook that are important to the environment. I did not pay much attention to the lichens I often see on tree bark, but at the end of the day, I found out that lichens go through photosynthesis to make oxygen that they provide for other organisms. Lichens also help with soil formation. This experience showed me that there are locations in New York City that help to preserve nature and the organisms that positively contribute to our environment. I am always surrounded by busy streets and tall buildings so it was refreshing to be able to see a quiet and green area that can keep the different species of organisms safe from disturbance.

The process of searching for lichens required patience because they can easily camouflage with the tree bark and rocks. One of the species we found could not be identified, which may mean that we found a new species. It was really exciting to be able to find something new, and that is what scientists experience when they work to gather new data and findings. Lichens have the ability to absorb pollutants, and scientists can then take samples to determine how much of a pollutant is found in an environment.