While I was unfortunately unable to attend the Central Park Bio Blitz, I have had other experiences with nature that have provided me with a fresh appreciation of the world around me.  A couple years ago, I spent six weeks of my summer backpacking and touring Israel on a program with a bunch of my friends.  While I had visited Israel many times before, I did not expect how vastly different my experiences – separated by only a year – would be.

As a group of twenty or so, we spent a month and half driving Israel literally from top to bottom.  We stopped and hiked different mountains and trails in environments ranging from the leafy mountains of the north to the miles of desert eight hours south.  Much like New York City, Israel is a place that I have grown up with and feels familiar to me – and much like the Bio Blitz, my tour allowed me to take a closer look at a landscape that I thought I already knew so well.

The highlight of the trip was a four-day camping expedition from coast to coast that really allowed me to go over the place that I love inch by inch and gain a new understanding of what really makes up a place.  My trip through the wildlife of Israel taught me that there are many layers at any given site.  There is the constructed – what we humans have built – there is the historical, there is the personal, but beneath it all there is the environmental and geographical, what has been there for thousands of years and what will continue to be there for many more.  The memory of running into the Mediterranean Sea at the end of our journey will stay with me no matter what happens to the specific beach I was at.  While not as hard to do in the still-growing Israel as it might have been in New York City for those at the Bio Blitz, in order to fully appreciate the land I needed to forget my previous knowledge of all the things I knew in order to see the things that I didn’t know.  For example, in my opinion it is much more difficult to appreciate mountains as landmarks than after having hiked over one to see the sun set at the top.

Having walked through the land gave me a sense of ownership and personal connection on a level that I didn’t get even after living there for the summer before.  Experiencing a place through its nature and natural environment lets you connect with a place in a deeper way that lasts longer because your connection is not bound to any one thing – it’s to the place itself and it will always be there.  I wish I could have used the opportunity given by the Bio Blitz to deconstruct New York City in the same manner, but I hope for and expect us to do much of that in our class.

Although I wasn’t fortunate enough to attend the Bio Blitz with my Macaulay classmates, I did have the opportunity to spend a weekend outside of Manhattan, my natural habitat, and go camping in upstate New York. This was my first real camping experience and I wasn’t thrilled to say the least. The contrast between the campsite upstate and New York City is slightly more drastic than a visit to Central Park, and I was apprehensive that the adjustment would be more stressful and nerve-wracking than relaxing. But after spending my entire summer roaming the concrete jungle of Manhattan, my friends convinced me that I would finally able to sit back and enjoy a more greener, relaxing and satisfying weekend than I thought.

During the course of our trip, we decided it would be appropriate to avoid using our cellphones and other electronics as much as possible. We also tried to use the natural environment around us to suit some of our needs. Luckily, one of my friends was able to identify several plants and berries that we were able to eat. In this case, I am sure the tools and lessons learned at the Bio Blitz could have helped me better identify plant species (and in hindsight, I wish I would have known about the iNaturalist app!). I realized how little I knew about plants and flowers despite my biology class in high school and I was eager to listen to the tips my friend had. Also, instead of using a barbeque to cook our food, we collected logs and sticks to build ourselves a true campfire.

One of the most rewarding experiences, however, was when we went fishing out on the lake. Ironically, it wasn’t the actual act of fishing or catching the fish that had an impact on me, but rather, it was the time I spent waiting to catch the fish that I found eye-opening. Because I had never gone fishing before, I was a bit nervous, but once I had cast my bait into the lake, I was able to relax and take in my surroundings while I waited for a fish to nibble. It was during those few minutes that I was truly able to appreciate the nature around me. Although I wasn’t used to such a quiet surrounding, there was something surprisingly peaceful about it: it was just nature and I.

The time waiting to catch my fish allowed me to stop, look around and observe nature like I never had before. To my surprise, I was quite amazed by the beauty of the blue skies and picturesque lake that lay in front of me; even though I have seen plenty of beautiful landscapes in movies and pictures, it occurred to me that I hadn’t experienced this type of natural scenery for myself in a while. The transparency of the water, the abundance of trees and variety of insects and animals around me made me recognize the true value of the natural world that I often take for granted. At the same time it made me think about everyday life in the city and how scarce and neglected the wildlife and plants are. It also made me realize how easy it is to get caught up in the “city life” and forget about the importance of the natural environment completely.

By the time our camping trip was over, I felt more at one with nature than I ever have before. I was finally able to leave my materialistic needs and habits behind and I was confident that I had acquired a refreshed outlook on things. Not only did I learn a couple things about surviving in the wilderness, but I also left with a newfound appreciation for nature, and the natural, organic environment around me. I realized how rarely I stop to examine the beautiful nature around me. As a result, my camping trip has inspired me to spend more time outdoors, even if it just means a quick walk in the park, because there is so much to be grateful for and just a short breathe of fresh air can remind me of that. I was glad I was able to step outside my comfort zone, namely the city, and experience nature for what it is, even if it was only for a short weekend.

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.

As a born and bred New Yorker, Central Park has always been my  (practically) sole source of exposure to the wonders of the natural world. In a city of concrete, bricks, and cement, a little natural greenery is always a welcome relief from the harsh bustle of daily city life. My early morning August 27^th trip to Central Park at 96^th street was no exception.

This time, however, the experience was quite different and infinitely richer because not only was I able to enjoy the natural aesthetics of the park, but I was also able to learn about the complex dynamics of the  various species that co-exist alongside each other and the park’s human visitors. It had never occurred to me previously that not only did Central Park serve a purpose for it’s human visitors but for the many species of fauna and flora that reside there as well.  Before the Bioblitz I had thought that it was the various animals that occupy the park are the visitors and we, as humans, were it’s main inhabitants. Only now do I realize that it is in fact the fauna and flora that are the residents and we the visitors.

My group was responsible for cataloging bird species and for the first time I realized that New York City had a lot more than pigeons to offer to bird watching enthusiasts. We observed different varieties of robins, blue jays, as well as a species that is related to both doves and pigeons. What was particularly interesting to observe was how the birds negotiated their surrounding environments which while at time would consist entirely of secluded trees, most often included a hybrid natural and artificial environment, such as grass in a baseball field or a tree directly adjacent to the bridge.  All birds seemed to be just as comfortable negotiating an artificial terrain as they did a natural one.

This led me to question my previous conception of the idea of a “natural habitat”. What is a natural habitat, what makes it natural? Should it be defined according to a species historical (pre-industrial) affinity for a certain environment in which they had access to an ideal natural habitat or should it defined by what kind of habitat a species survives in today. How does the combination of natural and artificial affect the survival of members within a species and what traits give some members an advantage in an artificial environment over others? While I don’t have any answers to these questions I would be interested to see if any studies that would address them have been done.

The Bioblitz also made me aware of the close relationship between Central Park and the city’s dwindling but valuable biological diversity. After our guide meticulously pointed out the various species that existed, even within the same four foot area, I realized that there is much more to New York City wild life than pigeons and squirrels. I’ve also realized how valuable Central Park and the Bioblitz effort is to maintaining natural diversity.

The Bioblitz at Central Park was a rewarding experience for me. It was a nice, warm morning, and honestly, I hadn’t taken advantage of such beautiful weather in a little while at that point. I truly love getting out and enjoying the wonderful plant life, especially in the summer. So in this simple respect, the Bioblitz was a treat to me. I was reminded of how gorgeous Central Park really is—I hadn’t been there since last spring, and I’ve only been there about a handful of times despite being a New Yorker my whole life. I’m definitely inspired to explore more of the park one of these days, hopefully before it starts to get cold.

I was actually assigned to the plant group at the Bioblitz. I didn’t mind that at all. We took a pleasant, slow walk around the southern end of the park. I don’t think I’d ever explored that area before, so that was nice. I definitely had the sudden desire to lie down and take a nap under a tree a few times during the walk—but I had to resist until at least noon. It was very warm and a little breezy, perfect day to be at the park.

Along the way, we took note of a good number of different species of plants. In the beginning we came across a tomato vine in an unexpected area, with the fruit still bright green. Further on, we encountered and identified several different types of plants that I hadn’t ever fathomed a name for in all my years of arbitrarily examining these backyard organisms. Meanwhile, the botanist we were with recited the Latin designations off the top of her head. It was an enjoyable experience for me. I rarely ever take the time to study different plant species side-by-side and take note of their subtle differences or similarities, so I took the opportunity to pick the leaves and fruits off the plants we stopped to record and examined them carefully. For example, I momentarily learned how to differentiate between a few species of maple—by now, however, the specific information has drifted from my mind and the different leaf shapes have coalesced in my imagination to once again form a more general impression of treetop matter.  Regardless, I was genuinely interested as I listened to the botanist explain the complex and efficient functioning of the different plant types. I did, at some points, contribute a few tidbits of knowledge that I retained from the AP Bio class I took in high school—that felt slightly satisfying. As we continued our walk in the park, I took pleasure from the different aromas that surrounded the area. If I wanted to zone in on something, I picked it off the stem and brought it close to my nose. I never did have a fear of pollen.

It would have been nice to examine some of the other ecological aspects of Central Park, but overall, I would say I had an enjoyable experience studying the plant life. It was definitely a great opportunity to wind down and closely examine the beauty around us—something that we as humans dedicate less and less time to as the centuries pass. A lack of appreciation for nature has undeniably contributed to an unnatural and alienated relationship with our beautiful earth. It’s no wonder that so many feel free to trample on what many would have called a paradise. Not only are we making our home less and less of a paradise, but we have also come to the point of threatening the existence of habitable conditions on our planet altogether. How much further will the chaotic, greed-fueled brawl for our earth’s resources continue? How much more unremitting devastation will we bring upon our planet? I don’t think any human is capable of answering that question . . . but I do think that if it wasn’t abruptly stopped we would ultimately come to our end in a relatively short amount of time.

As a nature-loving person who loves to take evening walks around my neighborhood to appreciate nature, I was excited to explore Central Park, even though I did not know what I would learn from the trip. When I learned that I would be placed in the lichens group, I was slightly disappointed because I wanted to see a living thing that moved before my eyes. Also, I had no clue what a lichen was. However, as the trip progressed, I realized that lichens surrounded me; they lived in trees, rocks, and sometimes in park benches. It was cool to finally place a name on the scrubby-looking organisms that I saw on trees. Although in the 1900s, around 200 types of lichens were recorded in Central Park, only 22 different types of lichens were found in Central Park in 2013; my guide told our group that lichens were pollutant sensitive. I was not surprised by these statistics because of the destruction mankind was wrecking upon nature through some aspects of technology, and I thought there was little hope for these organisms.

I overlooked the beauty and responsibility of lichens. My guide told us that they made a beautiful brown dye when mixed with ammonia, but she told us that one person made dye with his own urine, which was something rather interesting, although disgusting.   In addition, our guide told us about the beauty of lichens, which consist of symbiotic relationships between fungus and cyanobacterium. The fungus provides a home for the cyanobacterium, and in return, the cyanobacterium provides food for the fungus. Simple balance in nature gives me tingles of joy, so it was relaxing to be away from my technology routine (like using the computer daily).

On another note, I was glad that I could freely ask my guide questions about anything I observed. For example, I saw a frightening insect translucent mold, and she told me it was the exoskeleton of a cicada, and stuck the exoskeleton on her shirt like it was a brooch. Additionally, once I remarked that the tree we were observing was a gingko tree, and she told the group about the story of the gingko tree and how it is an excellent, hardy tree to plant in urban areas. Her excitement of nature made me even more excited to explore more, even though people in NYC usually have the closed mindset that nature is not that important and that nature’s only good for looking. Therefore, looking back on the  Bio Blitz, I hope I can spread my contagious love of nature to others as well.

My experience at Bio Blitz was a paradox. The natural environment in which we were hiking, combined with the nearby sounds of urban life, felt like two completely different worlds, existing side by side. While I did hear nature sounds during the excursion, like crickets and birds and waterfalls, the distant hum of traffic was incessant, and made an impact on my experience. It was difficult for me to truly appreciate the “nature” of Central Park because the apparent existence of an adjacent urban world was a constant reminder that, despite its lush abundance of flora and wildlife, Central Park is not a naturally existing location.

That being said, I did not really expect to most rustic of experiences at Bio Blitz. I went into the event knowing already that while I might have my hiking shoes on, 5^th avenue is just beyond those trees. When we were informed that we would be examining “wildlife” I could not imagine that there would be much to explore aside from the local creatures like pigeons and raccoons, and an array of bugs and insects.

For the most part, I was right. There were no exotic species that blew me away, and the most active creature we saw was a raccoon scurrying away into a bush. There was, however, a charm to seeing even the most ordinary wildlife in a somewhat natural habitat. A cave might have been manmade, but the magnificent spider web at its opening was constructed by an insect merely going about its natural order. We saw many bats, as my shift was during the later hours of the day and transitioned from light to dark. The habitat that the bats lived in did not naturally exist, but that did not stop the bats from living the same way as a bat in a natural cave. The habitats and environment in Central Park are manmade, but the wildlife clearly manages with the illusion of a real habitat.

At one point I looked at my shoulder and saw that there was a small green bug resting on my shirt. It was interesting looking; it looked just like a single leaf on a clover, folded in half with tiny red eyes. As intrigued as I was by the insect, the reaction felt forced. I felt like it was my responsibility to act as though this little insect was a rare and precious find, and not just a common occurrence of a bug sticking to my shirt. It might as well have been a fly. I suspected that much of the wildlife on the trip was highly typical and did not yield many breakthroughs on urban forest life.

This is not to say that as a manmade environment, Central Park is not “real”. It functions the way any ecosystem would, and is designed to imitate unadulterated nature. Overall I did not feel a connection to the wildlife of New York City, mainly because I do not imagine New York City as having green wildlife. In my mind, New York is concrete, the concrete jungle, if you will. Adding green in attempts to imitate natural reserves nearby seemed almost satirical to me. It is wonderful that Central Park provides an escape from the daily hustle and bustle. Why pretend, however, that New York City is anything other than what it is? I was not fooled by the abundance of plant life; the loud honking and sirens were just as apparent as the humming of the cicadas. I felt like Bio Blitz, while a worthy excursion, tried to hard to pretend that New York City houses legitimate wildlife akin to reserves.

I would propose a new outlook on said wildlife. Instead of acting as though we are preserving something, we should act as though we are creating something entirely new. A hike within a city can be an entity in of itself. There is no need to pretend that Central Park is Yellowstone.

Hiking around Central Park at dawn on the last day of summer vacation is not something I thought I would ever enjoy. However, I decided that it would be a unique opportunity to explore the wildlife of the park so early in the day, since not many people would be around. Although my group made every effort to make it to Central Park on time, we had some bad luck with the trains and ended up being 45 minutes late. Thankfully the BioBlitz director was able to get us set up with a group not long after we arrived, and we set off to explore the birds of Central Park.

Immediately we encountered some morning doves, robins, and cardinals. We learned that the morning doves are related to pigeons, which was apparent by the similar way that they walk and move their heads. The director also explained that the “robins” we saw were actually thrushes, but they are called robins because  they resemble the European robin. Even though we were given binoculars, it was a bit of a challenge to locate some birds that were pointed out to us because they were hidden among the leaves on the trees. Unfortunately for us, there didn’t seem to be many birds to observe after the first few that we saw, possibly because of the early hour and humid weather.

Although our group didn’t get to see as many birds as we thought we would, we still saw plenty of interesting things around the park. We passed by a few waterfalls and bridges, which I found to be very peaceful and beautiful, and we saw plenty of plants and flowers. We also went down a lot of paths that I’d never seen before and probably wouldn’t have explored on my own. Being surrounded by trees and plants almost made me forget that we were even in the city, because I would normally associate the city with skyscrapers, traffic, graffiti, etc. It was definitely a different perspective of New York City for me.

Having only been to Central Park twice before, BioBlitz was a great opportunity for me to explore and familiarize myself with such an important and famous part of New York City. It was a bit of a let down since our group only saw a few birds, and mostly just wandered around wondering where they all were hiding. The good part of it all was getting to see the city in a much different way than I ever had before, and it made me feel more connected to the city’s natural environment. I think its incredible that a great amount of wildlife and nature can exist in the middle of such a chaotic urban area. Overall this event made me appreciate Central Park more, and hopefully I’ll see a few more birds the next time I decide to visit.

A friend of mine recently vacationed in Costa Rica.  She came back extolling the beauty of Costa Rica, and then asked me an interesting question: “Think anyone who visits New York would describe it as pretty?”  I answered probably not.  I would characterize New York, or at least New York City, as urban and busy.   While there is certainly beauty in the intricate workings of the city, my friend was clearly referring to the aesthetic pleasures of the natural environment of Costa Rica.  However, I might have been mistaken in my answer to that question.  One often loses the beauty of the natural environment of New York City amidst the skyscrapers, but it does exist if one takes the time to notice it. This past Monday, during my Bio Blitz session, I felt connected to nature while being in New York City, something I never thought possible.

When I first arrived at Central Park I was hesitant about the objectives for the day.  I live in Westchester; I can enjoy nature in my backyard.  Then, I was placed in the insect group. I was not excited. Not only have I always been squeamish around bugs, I was hoping I would be involved with something more unique like birds or mammals.  Nonetheless, my group headed out with a golf car full of devices used to collect insects including aspirators, aerial nets, and sifters.  Before we even arrived at our specific location, the day started looking up. We walked on a beautiful, green path and ended up by a stream with a water fall. A water fall in Central Park in New York City?! No way. I was shocked and pleasantly surprised, and of course took a lot of pictures.

Suddenly I was handed an aspirator or a device used to suck bugs, and it was time to begin the collecting process.  It took me a few minutes to get over the disgusting idea of gathering bugs with a tube I was putting in my mouth even though there was no way I could swallow anything.  With a bit of encouragement from the other two girls I was working with, I did use the aspirator.  In that second while using the device and successfully capturing my first bug, I experienced an interaction with nature  as a result of my  close contact with the natural environment and organisms other than human beings.  Yet, I was not scared.  I was calm and collected and focused on what I was doing.   I was even a little bit sad as I watched the insects die in the vials of alcohol. The experience of using an aspirator was completely new for me.  I was in sync with the natural environment not only because I was near my subject, but because I was an active participant within the environment and not just an observer like I am in my backyard.

In addition, the staff with our group from the Central Park Conservancy and our park ranger helped foster our connection with nature.  They were very knowledgeable and passionate about insects and nature.  Who knew there were so many kinds of ants, and that they are attracted to tuna fish and cookies?   I appreciated the staff’s expertise and learned much more at Bio Blitz than I would have sitting in my backyard watching insects from afar.  In Central Park I really got my hands dirty. Due to the excitement of the guides with our group and our proximity to and participation in the natural environment, it was easy and enjoyable to be swept away in the moment.  Even though I was in New York City, I felt connected to natural environment.