“Here we are sighting a Celtis Occidentalis!”
My groggy eyes flit open just as Daniel, our enthusiastic group leader, sprints forward, leaping over the wired fence and pointing with a child’s glee at our latest find. Pen in hand – I volunteered myself as scribe for the day – I quickly follow my peers as we rush down the Bridle Path to meet him. With a wide grin, Daniel tugs gently at one of the many slender, red-brown branches, bringing it down to eye level.
         “Look closely” he murmurs.
Sharp tunnels of sunlight twine through the tree as we form a tight circle of hurried breaths, already tired from running through the humidity.
Seconds of silence.
We squint, heads huddled forward, ten eyes to one leaf.
A gasp. I search until I find the focus of such surprise: tiny, almost unrecognizable, round and dark red-purple berries scattered across the stem. Daniel steps back, patting the bark with pride.
         “This here is your Common Hackberry tree, and those berries are little miracles of nature, feeding a number of birds and mammals, and…”
He pauses, glancing down at his watch.
         “… are edible to humans too, and look at that, it’s lunch time! Dig in!”
We laugh, but Daniel shakes his head.
         “Here,” he says, placing a berry into each of our hands. “Eat.”
Dry and coarse, but with the sweet tang of a raisin or a plum, the unique taste of the Hackberry lingers, even after we set off in search of more discoveries.

To say I was sleepy when I arrived in Central Park last Tuesday morning would be quite the understatement. Exhausted from spending my Monday moving into the dorms, the last thing I wanted to do was wake up at 6 AM to observe and record flora in the heat. Moreover, though I understood the great value of the BioBlitz to scientists and other researchers, I was unsure of its significance to me – an individual who enjoys nature, but who does not intend on pursuing a career in science. Nonetheless, I committed myself to partaking in an event that had not occurred in over a decade – and that, in itself, I found quite incredible and rewarding.

Following Daniel – a researcher from the New York Botanical Garden – I found myself in awe of the workmanship and dedication of plant collectors and botanists. Carrying his press, he made several stops to exhibit the process by which specimen are preserved and later stored in herbariums, providing permanent and tangible records of each species’ existence for future knowledge. After clipping the plant – always including any leaves, flowers, fruits, and/or nuts – he would carefully note its physical characteristics such as height and color. Here, technology came into play, as we were able to use our smartphones’ GPS to aid Daniel in recording the exact coordinate locations of each specimen. Placed under pressure between sheets of newspaper and two wooden boards, the specimens would later be dried over artificial heat, and then, authenticated and filed into a collection.

Learning about this collection process allowed me to not only appreciate the great biodiversity present within the city, but also gave me perspective on globalization and its immense impact. As we wove through the park, we found many native species, as well as many non-native – and sometimes invasive – species. Looking up at the tall, worn barks of the trees, I stood in amazement, captivated with thoughts of how each began its life as a seedling – possibly carried by an animal, accidently transported via trade, or even planted by a human, either purposefully, or fortuitously, a seed caught on clothing, a silent companion to an unknowing immigrant traveling to new earth. As a writer, my mind spun; I could only wonder what interesting tales reflecting upon the history of New York City these trees would tell if only they could speak.

After having had this BioBlitz experience, I now recognize how flora and fauna inherently reflect societal changes on both a local and global scale. In addition, particularly with the Hackberry tree encounter, I have found this experience to be quite humbling. Growing up, I always valued time spent simply with nature, away from the noisy and congested confines of city streets, but even then, I did not often pause to “look closely.” Were it not for Daniel’s insistence, I doubt many of us would have noticed or dared to eat the hackberries, these tiny, yet beautiful creations. Furthermore, as a self-proclaimed foodie, I now see the different possibilities of incorporating truly natural, organic, and sustainable ingredients into my cooking. Though I’ve never heard of hackberries in any dish, I have learned that they are abundant in the Northeast and might just add an interesting flavor to some desserts – hackberry jam-filled cookies anyone?