All posts by monicaroman

The Problem With Marsh Restoration

Marsh Restoration

When being asked if we should restore salt marshes, or any natural habitat, the instinctive answer is “Yes!” It’s relatively unanimous among us that the environment is of great importance and we should be working to preserve and maintain it. However, in a political and economic climate like ours, an answer like that is not easily achievable. There are many bureaucratic hurdles to jump through, policy and budget wise. Just a few weeks, the nation was embroiled in a partisan shutdown, preventing employees from accessing their salaries. It’s safe to say that in the government cannot even keep itself running, there is likely a lot of red tape to get through regarding environmental matters. Additionally, when these situations are being discussed and debated for funding, etc. many of the studies government officials are faced with are highly skewed, either portraying cataclysmic conditions, or downplaying a situation to the point it hardly seems relevant. The lack of unbiased information lends itself to misguided investments and poor outcomes.

In 2007, the Government Accountability Office released a report in order to address and resolve issue marsh restoration projects were facing: “The reviewers came to several conclusions, including that increasing costs delayed the completion of projects and that without an integrated monitoring system they could not determine if goals and objectives were being met.” This is an extremely problematic conclusion to come to, considering the amount of work and funding that goes into these projects; it is imperative for there to be tangible results. For example, Phragmites removal requires “bulldozing, burning, and using an herbicide such as glyphosate.” To add another problem, such herbicides “cannot be said to be good for the ecosystem.” It seems counterintuitive to restore a natural environment at the expense of the ecosystem.

Other marsh restoration projects have also faced problems, such as the attempt to eliminate S. alterniflora and replace it with S. foliosa. Adding nitrogen to the soil to aid in S. foliosa growth also aids S. alterniflora growth, making such an attempt futile at best. There are so many factors that go into restoration, and these factors must be in sync for it to be successful. Animal grazing, water flow, soil nutrients, salinity, marsh restoration is contingent upon all of these working in conjunction. There are simply too many things to be accounted for and often times some of these things not accounted for when planning, leading to unsuccessful endeavors and attempts.

Furthermore, the existing marshes filled with Phragmites are not necessarily bad, or considered “ecologically useless.” In fact, they are “functioning, productive systems that contribute to aquatic food webs and provide habitat for fishes, shrimps, crabs, and birds.” They are completely functional in their own regard and are “preferable to paved-over development,” a sentiment shown in Bill Sheehan’s statement, “Phragmites. It’s green most of the time, and it ain’t condos.” It’s almost bigoted to completely disallow them because they are not of the same order as Spartina. The saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and in this case, it ain’t broke-just different.

 

“Innocent” Destruction?

Destruction of the Salt Marshes

We are living in an era of unprecedented conservation efforts: hybrid cars, organic produce, An Inconvenient Truth. However, we are also living in an era of unprecedented destruction to the natural world. In the past 150 years alone, we as a species have wreaked more havoc upon the natural environment than our collective ancestors. It can be argued that this was initially a form of “innocent destruction,” that our predecessors were not consciously aware of the monumental after effects of the abuse of natural resources. It can also be argued that the Western culture which eventually infiltrated the coastland salt marshes of the United States is deeply rooted in a culture of greed, and thus, a conglomerate of thoughtless actions has built up to the current destruction of salt marshes, amongst other natural habitats. 

The advent of the Industrial Revolution created a world unseen before: an urban landscape thriving on industry and its subsequent economy. Things were being produced and services were being provided for profit. But this system of goods and services is not new or novel. The scale of it, however, is. Examining the Native Americans (e.g. the Lenapes) who a few generations ago inhabited the same areas dominated by smog and factories at the turn of the 20th century would show there was a system of economy in place, but a much more egalitarian one. Each member of the society took merely what was enough for him/herself and the family or community he/she was providing for. Even if one were to move away from the communal aspect of Native American life and examine other cultures, one would realize these are cultures invested in trade rather than industry. Pre-industrial trade was checked by a variety of factors: travel routes, time, specialization of labor. Those checks created a flourishing economy, but kept human use and abuse of natural resources in check, as well.

With respect to the colonists, they of course had major reasons to engage in “innocent destruction,” for the sake of mere survival. However, they were met with indigenous people who had been surviving for generations beforehand. This is not limited to the New York area, but to all areas subject to Western colonization. As previously stated, there is a greed culture tied to the Western psyche. To take a huge step back, one of the major causes for colonization was profit, through channels of religion, glory, or money. The colonists completely disregarded the “eco-friendly” habits of the Native Americans for their own personal gains.

The ways of the Native Americans were completely lost when the efficiency of modern industry came about. When profit became the sole motivator with little to no regulation, the environment suffered terribly. Any and all reverence for the natural world went out the window. In the early 20th century, northern Queens become a literal dumping group in the years immediately following New York’s industrialization period, even referred to as the “valley of ashes” in The Great Gatsby. The area was eventually buried and paved over to create Flushing Meadows-Corona Park with little attention paid to what those substances would mean for the neighborhood’s health and the natural surroundings. In addition, as industry flourished, so did the need for usable land, and since there were no immediate uses for salt marsh estuaries, many developers in the 1950s began to uproot these ecosystems and fill them to create areas for homes, businesses, and public spaces, with no real understanding or interest in the consequences.

Luckily, many safeguards have been put in place to preserve the remaining salt marshes we have. In addition to providing scenery, their ability to act as a buffer against storm surges has proved very utilitarian. Considering more than half of the United States population lives near the coastland, it is incredibly important we conserve these natural habitats. Although there is no reversing what has already been done, it is critical we as a society find ways to check industry and prevent anymore destruction to salt marshes and other natural environments.

Land of the Lenapes: Cosmology

Land of the Lenapes

 

Examining and understanding the cosmology of the Lenape tribe particularly lends itself to their great bond with and emphasis on the natural world. The belief that the origins and governing laws of the universe are firmly vested in the physical land shows how much reverence they had for nature, and this is particularly evident in the Lenape creation myth.

As the story goes, Tantaque, a tribe elder, first told the story by picking up a piece of coal from a fire and began to sketch on the ground: “He first drew a circle, a little oval, to which he made four paws or feet, a head and a tail.” This was representative of a tortoise, particularly resonant considering that the salt marsh is the natural habitat of the terrapin. The back of the tortoise was to be considered the earth and the circle around it the water. Two trees grew out of the middle of the earth, creating the first man and woman. Again, the idea of a land mass surrounded by water is indicative of the Lenapes’ environment; they were indigenous to Manhattan Island.

To extend on that idea, there is another Lenape legend of a time when the game animals disappeared from their land. This was of course concerning to the tribe and thus led to a form of diplomacy between Chief Elk and the War Chief; Chief Elk told him, “Honor and respect our lives, our beings, in life and death. Do what you have failed to do before. Stop doing what offends our Spirits.” And thus, the first conservation efforts were born.

This reverence for nature allowed to the Lenapes to adopt and maintain a hunter-gatherer lifestyle for much longer than neighboring tribes. They migrated according to season, following the food, so to speak, and lived very egalitarian lives. The few crops they did have were very small-scale and consisted of native plants. In the so-called “Contact-era,” however, the Lenapes shifted into an agricultural system, albeit, still small-scaled. They began to grow the “three sister” crops of maize, beans, and squash. Despite becoming “managers of the land,” they still integrated elements of nature-oriented cosmology. For instance, there was a corn spirit, known as Kahesana Xaskwim, or Mother Corn, that was held in high esteem.

Despite the adoption of an agriculturalist system, the idea of elements of nature possessing a spirit is not a novel idea in Lenape cosmology. Disregarding the dichotomy of living and nonliving, they found a maneto, or indwelling spirit, in everything. In the most practical example of this, plants were seen to possess a spirit, leading to a healer’s function in society: through the use of healing botanicals, they could reestablish the natural balance. The manito’wak, amongst them Earth Mother, Corn Mother, and Keeper of the Game, were created by the Lenape Creator God in order to govern the universe, and thus create a harmonious balance. This was essentially the Lenape form of divine intervention: when offended a maneto could cause “mischief,” and this several rituals were performed to appease the spirits.

 

 

Thoughts on BioBlitz

Bio Blitz

Growing up on the water, I have always had a different idea of what “nature” is. If we were boating on the South Shore, looking at fish and seagulls, I definitely would’ve been in my element. Nature, however, in the case of BioBlitz, meant Central Park, a different kind of nature to me. So naturally (no pun intended), I had some reservations. Despite constantly joking that my favorite outdoor activity is going back indoors, I found the BioBlitz to be rather informative at best, a pleasant day in the park at worst.

I’ve always found the contrast between the park and the adjacent streets striking; pedestrians yelling at taxis, hot dog carts, and 20-30 story condos don’t exactly mesh with the scenic flora and fauna of Central Park. Despite this paradox, I’ve always found it interesting how the plant and animal species managed to adapt and even flourish in the so-called concrete jungle. Much to my chagrin, our guide informed us that this wasn’t actually the case. Several species that have called the park home have been dwindling in numbers, if not completely approaching extinction. It is a bit disheartening that the typical urban factors that are part of the New York experience, such as noise and pollution, can have such detrimental effects on the wildlife. It’s also an easy fact to forget, especially because when you enter the park, it’s so easy to see and feel the complete shift in scenery (albeit manmade), despite the  lingering city sounds in the background.

Our guide also informed us that many of the species in Central Park were not native to the park, but rather brought over from different countries and environments. I found the Shakespeare Garden particularly interesting, as an English major. This extended on the day’s theme of adaptation: much like New Yorkers, plants and animals from everywhere could settle in and call the city home. It was a new experience for me to learn about the subtle differences from species to species, and I was impressed by my guide’s ability to distinguish such imperceptible details. Using the iPhone app was new to me as well. It was pretty interesting to be using my phone for a seemingly productive reason, as opposed to #LiveTweeting my #DayInThePark.

Above all, it was sort of fascinating to see how everything in the park had its role to play. contributing something to this greater ecosystem; again, it’s an easy fact to overlook. It makes you feel small, but simultaneously part of something so much bigger than yourself. Although I definitely wouldn’t classify (again, no pun intended) myself as a huge nature-lover, I definitely found BioBlitz to be a very rewarding and informative experience.