I have found myself at the High Line about ten times since its opening, primarily to stroll around, rest, and take pictures. Most of the time I completely ignored the different species that inhabit the High Line and focused on the architecture and buildings surrounding the place. Paying specific attention to the different plant and insect species around the High Line made me realize how rich nature actually is on the High Line.
I primarily walked around the Chelsea area of the High Line and was surprised by the number of different plants and insects in the section. I mainly saw different species of bees, butterflies and flies flying around and pollinating different fall plants. I took the bulk of my pictures near the 23rd street entrance where there were plenty of bees around what appeared to be some Autumn Bride hairy alumroots, lesser calamints, and several other grasses and plants. The bees were primarily bumblebees (I think), one with a darker abdomen and one with yellow and black belts. There was also a fly that I could not identify that was restingon a leaf near some grasses.
After looking at the High Line with the scope of a “rambunctious garden,” I think that the High Line is a great example of the concept. A rambunctious garden should be nature that is half let free to operate on its own and half managed by humans. However, at first sight, the High Line could be seen as managed by humans a little too much. Many plant species are sectioned off and not exactly allowed to grow “wildly,” but the redeeming factor is that the renovation of the High Line tracks focused on planting most of the native species and resistant species that grew on the rails before. Allowing the native species to grow while “gardening” the area to fit in an urban environment makes the High Line a good example of the rambunctious garden.
The information in Statler’s paper does not change my viewpoint of the High Line being a rambunctious garden. Before the renovation of the High Line, the tracks were rambunctious because of human activity, meaning that our presence changed the composition of the ecosystem by making it very species diverse. With the renovations, we see an actual “gardening” aspect of human influence on the ecosystem. By renovating the area, the High Line became more suitable for the urban environment, and instead of being destroyed, it preserved many native species on the track. Statler’s paper does provide interesting information on how the High Line’s current plant population is so diverse.
