“Within the confines of New York City lies an overlooked oasis of green…the abandoned elevated high line.”  Richard Stalter opens his piece on the High line with these words and to me that’s what it was.  I’ve never heard of the high line before this class, so I thought it would be somewhat deserted.  However, once I got there it was bustling with life.  I couldn’t believe how many people were there.  It was more crowded than the streets of Manhattan yet there were places where one could lounge and rest.  To top it off, sprightly plants were on both sides of the high line for a majority its length.  The abundant number of plants takes one to a place where they forget he is in the city to the point where seeing billboards and parking lots from the elevated platform a strange sight.

If there was a place to accurately describe Marris’s view of a rambunctious garden.  The high line embodies the idea of humans and wildlife living in unison.  People are sitting, listening to music, reading, there are food vendors, and little kids playing.  There was even a bride, groom, and their bridesmaids and groomsmen taking a stroll through the high line.   The plants are also evenly distributed and in some areas it feels as if they completely surround the people at the high line.

With the merging of man and wildlife, there are still separations so neither is completely overwhelmed by the other.  There are signs to remind people not to invade the area specific to the plants and concrete pathways for people to stay on.  There is also an unspoken separation of pathways.  While there is no sign or marker indicating which way to walk, the people organize themselves and keep to their right, allowing for a smooth walk with no obstructions.

While I visited the high line, I felt that while my timing had its pros, there were some cons.  I couldn’t find any animals other than a single bird that made taking a picture of it incredibly difficult and a cabbage butterfly.  There were other bugs, but they were too small to be caught by camera.  I was disappointed by the lack of animals I saw because Statler’s statistics made me hopeful of seeing numerous animals I rarely see in the city.

proof if me there, next to the emergency call box

A rambunctious garden, as described by Emma Marris, is not a place isolated by walls or fences, it coexists with humanity. Rambunctious gardening is proactive and optimistic; it’s not a romantic notion but a part of our everyday lives. A rambunctious garden can be found anywhere, one doesn’t have to escape his/her daily life to witness it, its all around us and develops with the humankind. A rambunctious garden is evolution in action, a practical form of conservation, which can flourish anywhere. The High Line, an abandoned railway line that runs along the West Side of Manhattan, fits perfectly with the notion of a rambunctious garden. It represents an ecosystem that coexists with the city life and continues to diversify.

The High Line possesses every characteristic, which makes it a suitable candidate for a rambunctious garden. It’s in confined to an area within a busy city, it continues to cultivate despite human disturbances and trampling, and possess an unlikely location. One may suspect that an abandoned commercial railway line, deprived of proper sunlight and nutrient rich soil, may never be suitable to sustain such large biodiversity per ha, but that’s what makes it rambunctious. Primary succession and pioneer species took over the abandoned place and cultivated it to withstand the human hindrances.

The railway line currently stretches 20 city blocks between 13^th and 34^th streets and parallels 10^th avenue. It is no longer just an abandoned strip of land, but has become an urban oasis and a public walkway, which is constantly visited by locals and tourists. As investigated by Stalter in his study, the pioneer species at the site were primarily mosses and grasses. The growing and dying of pioneer species added organic matter, which allowed for vascular plants to grow and thrive and also contributed to the slightly basic pH of the soil.

Furthermore, Stalter’s study concerning the biodiversity and flora, reaffirms its classification as a rambunctious garden. The High Line is one of the most biologically diverse and species rich system in the New York-Tristate area with over 161 species, 122 genera and 48 families.  The study also shows a density of 38.8 species per ha, which is greater than sites like Ellis Island, Liberty Island and Bayswater State Park.

The biodiversity of the highline is truly remarkable, and strengthens the support for maintaining and supporting rambunctious gardens, interestingly enough only 59% of the species at the High Line can be classified as “pristine” or “native”, but still the system continues to thrive and seems very natural. The high level of diversity has been made possible by human interactions, mostly humans are considered to be a hindrance for an ecosystem, but in case of a rambunctious garden, humans act as inadvertent pollinators.

Nevertheless, after visiting the High Line myself and examining the pollinators and the coexistence of nature and humanity I am convinced that nature doesn’t always have to be pristine and rambunctious garden can exist anywhere and support a species rich ecosystem.

Like Central Park, the High Line is a well known location of nature that is preserved. Even though I’ve been there before, I didn’t take the time to appreciate the plant and animal species. However, this time i was able to take my time and observe. I went during noon and surprisingly there weren’t many birds and pollinators around. After wandering around, I begin to stop pollinators and butterflies. It was nice to observe the High Line for its purpose. The plant life in the area seemed very well preserved. One interesting thing was that I was unable to find any trash or litter on the High Line. It seems that other people realize the importance of the High Line and refrain from littering.

Marris believes that “rambunctious gardens” are the way to preserve ecosystems. The High Line fits into her concept very well. The High Line is an area where people can interact with the nature while preserving it at the same time. An example of this can be when people refrain from throwing trash on the High Line. Every one is aware that the High Line needs effort in order to be protected. Even though humans have interacted with the nature present and may have brought non-native species, its that which makes the High Line special and an example of a “rambunctious garden.”

Stalter’s paper does not change how I view the High Line. I still believe this type of nature can be considered a “rambunctious garden.” Even though the article doesn’t provide any visual guides, it does state a lot of the species that reside there. It also gives a lot of statistics about the area that one would not know from visiting. Stalter’s article complimented my visit by making me more knowledgeable of the area and what things I could expect.

It’s hard to believe not only that we have the High Line within New York City, but also the number of people who are still unaware of it. Located along the West side, on 10^th avenue and stretching 20 blocks is a fresh oasis in a city with a reputation needing one. The High Line, originally a commercial railroad, which became abandoned, was relatively free from human intervention. This allowed vegetation to grow “unmolested by human and train traffic” (Stalter 387). I’ve been to the High Line countless times before, however, I have never stopped to notice or wonder about the helpful pollinators that help make this happen.

A few handsome gentlemen and I were able to observe a variety of pollinators. From what we saw, bumblebees seemed to be most popular, though not dominant. We also observed other species of bees (honey, long-horned, and leafcutter), as well as butterflies, and other insects whose functions we were not completely educated on. We found a majority of the pollinators we witnessed from 23^rd street up to about 27^th street. Unfortunately, many were unapologetically photo-shy or too into their work.

Most of the anthropogenic interference was atmospheric rather than direct tampering. Stalter’s study was published in 2004, before the High Line’s redevelopment took a change in course. In Stalter’s study, he reports observing high vascular plant species. The species per area are compared with contrasting locations. These include islands that receive high human traffic (Ellis Island) and more isolated ones (Hoffman Island). Some of the factors he credits the vast diversity to are in fact committed by humans, albeit unintentionally. Countless conditions have played a part in the vegetation of the High Line. As a relatively undisturbed environment which high sun exposure, the High Line may be a special case. Stalter explains that “xeric succession on the abandoned High Line may have been altered by the rate at which soil forms or accumulates…the growing and dying of the mosses, lichens and grasses added organic matter to the soil” (389).

The Friends of the High Line have made it their mission to preserve the High Line. In a city with high real-estate value, letting nature run wild was not an option. A happy compromise has been reached with The Friends allowing nature to flourish, yet keeping it in check. The vegetation of the High Line has been chosen by The Friends to recognize the wild pioneers that had colonized it.

I definitely believe that the High Line embodies Marris’ idea of a rambunctious garden. As mentioned, human interference, such as transporting seeds and new species through visitation, can help explain the diversity. Up to this point, we have mostly been learning anthropogenic changes affecting nature. In this case, nature and humans are beneficial to each other. The High Line is living on a man-made structure and being tended by man. In return, the High Line has spurred development to its surrounding areas, giving back to its neighbors.

I visited the High Line for the first time on Thursday, September 20^th and I was quite amazed by what I saw. I started off at 23^rd street and then walked up a few blocks, and then down to 20^th street. I saw many different plants and pollinators, including different bees, small flies, and butterflies. The High Line is so different from the surrounding areas, with all the buildings, and stores and traffic and whenever I looked around and saw the buildings and then at the plants again, it felt like two different worlds. This, I thought, was a large part of the beauty of the High Line. It’s pretty amazing to see how a railroad could be transformed into a place filled with different plants and species and it really fits in with Marris’s concept of a rambunctious garden.

Marris believes that we shouldn’t try to restore ecosystems of the Earth into pristine wilderness that was supposed to have existed before humans disturbed it, but rather to have humans accept that they are in charge of nature and to mange it and make it so that we are creating environments where nature and humans can coexist and interact. The High Line is just that. It is not just a closed off space of nature, but rather a place where nature is being conserved and restored and people can go there and connect with nature. People restored and manage the place, but they aren’t just putting any plants and making their own ecosystem. Many of the species there are native species. Those species, along with many others might not be there if not for the management of humans. Having native species grow back while humans manage the area to fit into the urban environment is a good example of rambunctious gardening.

Stalter’s paper doesn’t change my view of the High Line, but it does make me appreciate it more. In his study, Stalter found that “species richness at the High Line is greater than species richness at four nearby New York City sites.” The High Line has 38.8 species/hectare while at Hoffman Island, it was 21.8 sp/ha, 37.9 sp/ha at Bayswater State Park, 19.8 sp/ha at Liberty Island, and 22.8 sp/ha at Ellis Island. I wouldn’t have thought that the High Line would have so much species richness since it’s in an urban environment and was created not so long ago. One of the possible reasons Stalter gives for the high level of plant species is “human disturbance including trash deposition, trampling, oil compaction and fire.” The disturbances in cause the habitats to keep on changing, but the species there are still able to adapt to it. Just as Marris said, nature is resistant and adaptable. I think the High Line is a great project and should be an example for future conservation projects, especially in cities.

In the book Rambunctious Garden, Emma Marris criticizes that many conservationists approached conservation in a misleading way. Marris believes that there are no such things as pristine nature. There are evidences of human influences everywhere in the world. I think that the High Line fits into the concept of Marris’ rambunctious garden because it is heavily shaped by human, and yet still have its unique natural characteristics. According to Stalter, human visitors to the High Line accidentally bought seeds and different soils to the site, it creates various habitats for different species to live in. Other human influences such as “trampling and cutting vegetation, and the smothering of plants by debris such as tires, bottles and additional trash (Stalter 387)” also play an important role of soil composition and species diversities in the High Line.

The High Line used to be an elevated commercial railroad from 1934 to 1980. It sketches from 13th and 34th street between 10th and 11th Avenue. However, the 1950s Interstate Highway System decreased the rail freight on the High Line. The High Line rails were abandoned in 1980. Friends of the High Line, which is a non-profit organization, proposed to transform the rail lines into a pedestrian walkway. During the primary succession lichens, bryophytes, forbs, grasses and some other vegetation started to appear. Then with the growing and dying of the mosses, lichens and grasses, the soil composition become richer, which allows more species to better flourish themselves (Stalter, 387-388).

 
During my first visit to the High Line I was impressed by its species richness. I visited the High Line on last Tuesday; it was windy and rainy. I saw all different colors of flowers, fruits, and trees. As what Stalter reported in his paper, “the vascular flora at the High Line consisted of 161 species in 122 genera in 48 families (Stalter 388).” It is amazing that this human-made strip of nature is right in the city. I also saw a lot of pollinators like honeybees, bumblebees, butterflies and etc. It was a worthwhile trip to the High Line; I can see all different types of flora without travelling outside of the city.

I believe that the High Line supports Marris’ concept of rambunctious garden, because it is not pristine, but still have its unique beauty. According to Stalter, compare to Haffman/Swinburne Island, Bayswater State Park, Liberty and Ellis Island, the High Line has the greatest number of species. Also, “The High Line may have one of the highest levels of species richness of any temperate zone urban environment in the region (Stalter, 389).” Although many conservationists believe in pristine nature, and that nature should be kept away from human interference; the High Line proves that human and nature can be coexist, and create this strip of nature with the most species diversities.

One of the most visited nature sites in New York City is the High Line.   The attraction spans from 14^th Street to 34^th Street along 10^th Avenue.  It was my second visit to the Highline and the first time that I actually saw the plants and paid attention to pollinators.  People of all different races, genders, and styles visit the High Line to appreciate the natural elements, plants, and spectacular views of Chelsea.   

Upon climbing the stairs of the 23^rd Street entrance of the High Line I was surrounded by a diverse people.  There were young men and women holding hands, young children begging for ice cream, old ladies telling them to be quiet.  Business people looking for a break in the day, a saxophone player accompanied by a vocalist, jamming out; these were the people of the High Line.  What united them?  Was it nature?  Was it the sounds of the birds?  What was it?

Personally, I think people go to the High Line to relax.  It is very peaceful up there.  Especially considering that 20 feet below you sits the heart of Chelsea (on 23^rd Street).  Nature, on the West Side of Manhattan, seems out of place up there, but highly appreciated.   What types of plants were there?  I am no botanist, so my best summary is: a rainbow of all the colors you could see, but one color on one plant; some had thorns; some were dying; some were thriving; some had birds all over them; some had insects and bees pollinating like wildfire; it was different.

Pollination.  Many overlook the process.  It truly is an art form, and those who are good at it are relentless.  The bees will stop at nothing, not even 40 mph winds.  The birds only seemed to be around one plant, the fruitful looking purple one.  The small orange insects that I have never seen are nested along a brown leafed plant.  The day was windy, overcast, and overcrowded with New Yorkers, but these animals were in their own domain.  Shielded by a fine green line, they were in their own habitat, created by humans, untouched by humans since.  You get the feeling that some plants are more loved than others: some appear more vivacious.  That could be a result of something that Slater points out.

He says due to shallow soil profile, soil depth ranges from 1 centimeter to 70 centimeters (over 2 feet).  Perhaps this is a reason why some plants appear brown on the last day of summer and others are thriving with beautiful colors.  Slater brings up an interesting point saying that the High Line has the highest species per area with respect to 4 other major coastal sites including Ellis Island and Liberty Island.  It is easy to see why this may be the case.  The High Line is only 20 blocks long, and just over 20 feet wide.  The total number of species on the High Line is 163, which is third following Ellis Island and Bayswater Park.

Is the High Line a Rambunctious Garden?  It would appear so.  The High Line is a natural space strategically created by Kelco.  It is built to serve nature and humans.  There are practical and artful uses for this great space.  Ultimately, this is now nature, that is created, should be enjoyed by the masses.

Although I went to the highline a year ago for IDC to see the Chelsea Galleries, upon my second visit, it was a completely different experience. This time I turned my attention away from the architecture and artistic displays, and refocused it on the inconspicuous pollinators along the boardwalk. I started the journey on 23^rd street and 10^th avenue and immediately I saw a bee on what I believe to be a Rosaceae plant. The bee was attracted to the inner most part where the pollen is located. As I walked towards 19^th street I noticed that the bees were predominately settling on the parts of the plant with a lighter color. The bees were rarely nesting on the green plant leaves. Less common were the wasps, I managed to come across a wasp on the Rosaceae plant, but unlike the bee, its stripes are more defined and it was located on the green leaf rather than white bulb.

Other than bees and wasps, I also came across flies. The flies were harder to find because they moved around often and tended to blend with the green leaves. Most of the flies were on the tip of the leaf and towards the side closest to the boardwalk. Within a block’s distance of the fly was a ladybug. In comparison to the bees, wasps and flies, the ladybugs are less apparent. In fact, the insect was almost hidden within the leaf. Given the insect’s unusual green color, it was a bit ironic that the ladybug was hidden in a reddish colored leaf. The last of the pollinator species I came across were birds. The birds tended to nest either on the fence or on poles. I believe this is the case because the species of plants nearest to the fence is the Poaceae flora, which resembles tree branches, which birds use to create nests. In fact in the picture below it seems that the group of birds are working together to create their own habitat.

The highline is unique space that allows New Yorkers who want to escape the crowded streets of the city to enjoy a more serene stroll above the traffic. The highline does fit into Marris’ rambunctious garden. In her novel “Rambunctious Garden” she states “this garden isn’t restricted to parks and protected areas. Conservation can happen in parks, on farms, in the strips of land attached to rest stops…” (Marris 2). From this excerpt it is clear that the highline represents a rambunctious garden because it is not a secluded area of nature. Marris’ definition is inclusive of all and any type of nature that is set aside no matter the size. Given the small area of the highline, it can very well be a rambunctious garden because a major goal of the highline according to Stalter is to create a space for people and nature to interact. Based on the Stalter piece, the highline was an abandoned area that once served as a highway for freight trains, but with the organization “Friends of the High line” it became a “rambunctious garden” or a place where people and nature can coexist. I must admit that initially I did not think that the highline was in any way a “rambunctious garden,” because it seemed that the same plants were distributed throughout the entire highline. However, after reading Stalter’s work, I learned about the many species that thrive in the highline including the Poaceane, Rosaceane, Asteraceae etc. The highline may only have an area of 4.2 hectare, however it is the home to 163 total species and the embodiment of Marris’ rambunctious garden.

A green ladybug on a reddish colored leaf.

At the highline 23rd and 10th avenue. I am second from the left.

Birds creating what seems to be a nest.

What used to be an elevated commercial railroad built to transport goods for more than thirty years, High Line is now a popular site for New Yorkers and tourists alike. The railroad was abandoned after the emergence of the Interstate Highway System, which made transportation of goods much easier and efficient. Some parts of the railroad were destructed and the demolition of the High Line was preferred by the real estate owners of the property beneath it. It guaranteed an increase in its property value (388, Stalter). The Railbanking program and Friends of the High Line together worked to preserve and not only to preserve but to transform the railroad to a public walkaway that exists today.

Around 14th Street. Railroad tracks still visible through the plants.

The park runs from Gansevoort Street to West 34th Streeth between 10th and 11th Avenues. Starting with the first section in 2009 followed by the second section three years later, it is now building its last section of the park which will continue until West 34th Streets.

Walking on the High Line, I was completely surrounded by different green plants and flowers of all colors yet when I fixed my gaze to a distance not too far off I saw the city filled with crowded tall buildings and streets. This rather fits Marris’ idea of a rambunctious garden. The point of the park is not to restore the already damaged nature to its “pristine wilderness” but to create more and more nature on the planet just as it is . Instead of the park existing apart from humanity, it exists with it. Plant succession on the High Line resulted in a wide variety of plant species and consequently pollinators (388, Stalter). Many could be seen throughout my walk on the park.

Bees on flowers. Near 14th Street.

I personally believe that the park is amazing. It is in the middle of the bustling city and gives so much contrast and a peaceful resting place in the midst of a routine-led, hectic life. And an example that nature does not have to be untouched to be nature. Taking an abandoned railroad, more nature was created in the middle of one of the busiest and advanced cities in the world.

When you think of nature and greenery in Manhattan you automatically think of Central Park. To be honest, I had never heard of the Highline but it sure did make a lasting impression on me. An elevated area of flowers and plants is an incredible sight that quickly grasps your attention. Many people come to sit on the benches and enjoy the surroundings of the beautiful city as well as this sort of out of place patch of elevated nature. As I walked around the Highline, I was struck by its layout. There were distinct walking areas surrounded by vast amounts of nature. What I noticed was a manhole that was hidden by some plants. This shows that humans, even though they do allow the greenery to grow naturally, they do provide a proper drainage system to make sure the plants aren’t overflowed during rains.

The Highline, located on Tenth Avenue between Gansevoort Street and West 34^th, was an elevated commercial rail line built in the 1930s used to carry rail traffic above the New York streets. Currently, it’s a vast green escape for New Yorkers from the typical city blocks that include nothing but skyscrapers and taxis. The Highline is filled with lichens, mosses, plants, flowers, pollinators as we as birds that pay the area a visit. Walking through the Highline was a great experience. The small strip of nature brought a sense of peacefulness, which is really difficult to find in the big apple. The diverse plants brought numerous bees and other insects to pollinate the greenery.

The Highline definitely fits into Marris’s concept of the rambunctious garden. Marris believes that humans shouldn’t impede nature but rather attempt to restore it to a specific baseline. The Highline was abandoned during the 1980s leading to lichens, forbs, grasses and woody vegetarian to grow uncontrollably and most importantly, naturally over the area. Further, humans have transported many foreign species to the area, making it a developed and diverse scenery. According to Stalter’s study, over 161 species as well as 122 genera in 48 families can be found at the Highline. These facts justify why the Highline can e described as a rambunctious garden. The Highline was allowed to develop on its own without human intervention as well as being populated by foreign species. Marris would appreciate the Highline for its vast diversity of species as well as its beauty in a city that doesn’t have much green outside of Central Park.  

The High Line is an elevated public park built on a freight rail. It is located on 10^th Avenue, running between the 13^th and 34^th street. It contains about 20 blocks of area. I visited the High Line on September 22, 2012 at 3:00pm. It was an amazing experience since it was the first time I visited it. In my opinion, the park is the combination of nature, aesthetic, and humanity. With various plants on the side, artistic rock benches and fixtures and walkway create a beautiful and pleasant aura for visitors to enjoy their walk. The park is also full of different species of pollinators that fly from plant to plant. I could only encounter a few species of pollinators. I noticed a large amount of bees throughout the park, with small amounts of birds and other insects.

The High Line carried commercial freight form 1934 to 1980. It became abandoned when Interstate highway system encouraged truck transportation that led to the decline in rail freight. When the High Line was abandoned, Friends of the High Line fought to preserve the High Line from being demolished. Due to their effort, the High Line became a public park and pedestrian walkway that contains a high diversity of flora and fauna.

When the High Line was first created, it accumulated a shallow level of soil and organic matters as a result of the cycles of growth and death of the pioneer plants (Stalter 390). As materials and trash are being smothered into the soil and plants by train and wind, the mineral abundance of the soil increased. Also, soil compaction and fire led to greater soil quality. New species were introduced due to unintentional transport of seeds by human visitation. When Friends of the High Line transformed the abandoned rail into the High Line public park, species were introduced on newly deposited volcanic ash on sites where plants did not exist (Stalter 388). The history of human intervention created a variety of habitats that contributed to the species richness of the park today.

The High Line is a great example of a rambunctious garden. As Emma Marris stated, “Rambunctious gardening is proactive and optimistic; it creates more and more nature as it goes, rather than just building walls around the nature we have left” (Marris 3). In other words, rambunctious garden is to allow human to work with nature instead of restoring our environment to its pristine look. We are to create green spaces by selecting the desired plants and/or maintaining the plants that are there already to create a “garden” of biodiversity. In a sense, the High Line is a garden because the New York City parks department maintains it. In a garden, we water our plants and decide which species to stay in the space to achieve our goal, whether it is to enhance the beauty of the property or to increase the biodiversity of the garden. The same goes with the High Line, plants were selected to plant in the area and some species were maintained to achieve a rambunctious garden that has a high biodiversity.

Bombus-affinis

Honey Bee

Fly

Birds sitting on a rock.

Interesting looking red insect.

The High Line, situated on an abandoned elevated railroad track along 10^th Avenue, is stark contrast from the streets and traffic below on the West Side of Manhattan. During a simple stroll down the park’s pathway, it is easy to be transported away from the fast-paced city to a tranquil garden.

The abundant patches of flowers that line the path of both sides of the park attract a variety of pollinators. During my visit on September 20, it was hard to find any other pollinators other than a variety of bees. The cool breeze, coupled with the fact that I toured the area in the late afternoon (3:30PM-5:00PM), made both finding and capturing pictures of pollinators slightly more challenging. It was easiest to find pollinators in the vibrantly colored flowers in the Wildflower Field between 26^th and 29^th Streets, the Chelsea Grasslands by 18^th Street and the Diller-Von Furstenberg Sundeck and Water Feature by 16^th Street, especially uninhibited sunlight shined on the flora.

The High Line exemplifies Marris’s idea of a “rambunctious garden” well. According to Marris, the “rambunctious garden is everywhere…in parls. On farms, in the strips of land attached to rest stops and fast-food joints, …even in city traffic circles” (2). The rambunctious garden is one that takes advantage of what an area has to offer and transforms it into a sustainable form of “nature”, or as close to nature as it can become. The conversion of old railroad tracks into what is now the High Line park shows how nature can be created anywhere, even amidst the streets of New York City. With the help of pollinators, including the bumble and honey bees that enjoy the sweet pollen of the planted flora, the various species of plants are able to thrive year after year. Marris supports creating and embracing nature that may not be “pristine”.   Despite the fact that the plants in the High Line were placed in the artificially made park, it can still be considered more natural than most any other part of urbanized New York City.

The findings in the Stalter piece show just how successful Marris’s version of “nature” can be in an urban area. With just a bit of hard work, the Friends of the High Line foundation was able to cultivate “161 species in 122 genera in 48 families” of flora (Stalter 388). More than half of these species are native to New York as well, proving that it is possible to recreate conditions to help restore some lost nature. Surprisingly, Stalter’s research found the High Line to have a “species richness…greater than species richness at four nearby New York City sites…[and] may have one of the highest levels of species richness (38.8 sp/ha) of any temperature zone urban environment in the region” (389). Stalter’s data shows how well the flora in the High Line are flourishing and how much it resembles the natural flora makeup of a New York City patch of nature despite the fact that it was crafted by humans.

I visited the High Line for the first time on September 20^th. After my visit to the High Line, I can definitely say that it is a fantastic place for people to relax and enjoy the scenery around the place. In fact, there was a very peaceful atmosphere on the High Line. Many people were just sitting on the benches or enjoying the surroundings on this elevated railroad. They also did not seem to mind the many pollinators scattered throughout the High Line. While people were relaxing and enjoying the scenery, my group and I were seeking out for pollinators in the area.

The High Line is a place filled with many different plants, insects, birds, and other species. While I could not find many stationary birds in the area, there were quite a number of insects. Of course, many of these insects were pollinators. One of the more common pollinators on the High Lines was the bee. The bees were often found on the pedals of brightly colored flowers including lavender pedals and white-color pedals. I often saw bees with different color and size on various plants, so this shows some of the diversity in the High Line. There were also other insects in the area including a ladybug-like insect and a small orange insect. These pollinators were sometimes difficult to spot due to their small presence.

The High Line is also a great example of a “rambunctious garden.” In Rambunctious Garden: Saving Nature in a Post-Wild World, Marris describes rambunctious gardens happening everywhere in the world. Instead of building walls around nature, people live and interact with the nature. When I saw the High Lines with my group of classmates, I noticed how seamless people interacted with nature. People were not really isolated from the city or from nature. Instead, people seem to be living with nature and accepting what they see on the High Line. It was refreshing to see this. However, this “rambunctious garden” is not perfect. I noticed that there was a small green wire that fenced the plants to the side of the High Line. In a way, this shows some separation between people and nature.

Stalter’s article on the diversity of the High Line supports the idea of a “rambunctious garden.” According to Stalter, humans have greatly influenced the High Line by transporting seeds into the area and by trampling and cutting vegetation. Some people will argue that the High Line is not “pristine” for these two reasons. They are right because the High Line is far from pristine. Many of the species in the High Line were probably accidently transported from a distant land. Even though the High Line may not be “pristine,” it has a peaceful atmosphere where humans and all types of species can interact in the area. This idea of people and nature coexisting and living together definitely supports the idea of a “rambunctious garden.” Perhaps this is the direction we can take to conserve nature in the future.

On Thursday September 20, I went to visit the High Line with a few of my classmates. The High Line is an elevated railroad that was used to carry freight between buildings up until the 1980s. It is located between 10^th and 11^th avenue and runs from Gansevoort Street to West 34^th street. The High Line was in threat of being demolished in the early 2000s but a group called Friends of the High Line decided that it needed to be saved. They vouched for the High Line to be transformed into a public park and construction on this project began in June 2006, with the first section of the park opening in 2009.

A fly sitting on a flower

The High Line is a very interesting and beautiful place. It is so unusual to see so much nature not only in an urban environment, but also living and thriving on something that had an industrial use. What makes the High Line even more interesting are the findings of the study called “The Flora of the High Line” by Richard Statler. This study found that the High Line actually has a very high amount of species diversity. In fact, the High Line had more species per hectare than Ellis Island, Liberty Island, Hoffman Island, and Bayswater State Park. These findings are hard to believe because one would think that there would be not that many species in such an urban environment. The species diversity at the High Line really makes me appreciate it more.

A red bug

A bee pollinating a flower

The High Line fits Emma Marris’ concept of a “Rambunctious Garden.” Marris’ main point is that we should not isolate nature is a so-called pristine state, but let nature adapt to its modern surroundings. Marris argues that nature is very resilient and can survive in urban environments and that it is better to practice this kind of conservation rather than isolating nature. The High Line proves Marris’ point that nature is resilient and can adapt. Even though it is located in a very urban area, the High Line has species diversity and hosts many pollinators.

The High Line is one of the finer points in New York City. It provides a nice retreat to a quiet area that is still in the city. It is home to a variety of species that would not have been in that area of the city if not for the High Line. The High Line is a marvel of nature that adds a lot of value to New York City.

sources:

http://www.thehighline.org/about/high-line-history

Statler, Richard. “The Flora of the High Line.” The Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 131.4 (2004): 387-393. Print.

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 23^rd 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.

Me (center), at the High Line, with my friends

On Thursday, September 20^th, 2012, I visited the High Line for the first time. I must admit that I was a bit surprised by the atmosphere. I could not believe how this one strip of land had developed in an urban neighborhood. The contrast between the High Line and its surrounding neighborhood was remarkable.

While visiting the High Line, I took many pictures of pollinators in the area. There were many different species of pollinators including bees, flies, and butterflies. One of the more common pollinators was the eastern bumble bee, which was found pollinating the compass plant near West 21^st Street. Another common pollinator was the honey bee, which was found pollinating the broadleaf ironweed near West 16^th Street. The long-horned bee was another common pollinator, which was found pollinating the compass plant near West 19^th Street.  Another common pollinator was the leafcutter bee, which was found pollinating the aromatic aster near West 12^th Street. In addition to bees, there were many flies that were pollinating plants in the area. For example, there were green flies and cluster flies. These flies were seen on many sections throughout the High Line but were too quick to capture on camera. Another pollinator that was seen but not captured on camera was a white butterfly and a butterfly that was orange and had black spots. One interesting note about the pollinators on the High Line was that many of the species coexisted and did not seem to dominate over one particular area.

The High Line definitely fits into Marris’s concept of Rambunctious Garden. This is because Marris preaches that no ecosystem is pristine. She takes a laissez-faire approach to ecosystem management and believes that humans should not interfere with ecosystems and attempt to restore them to a specific baseline. Marris finds beauty in the new ecosystems that are being created today. She would definitely think of the High Line in a positive way. This is because the ecosystem on the High Line developed naturally after the railroad that used to run there was abandoned in 1980. Primary succession is occurring on the High Line and there are many lichens, shrubs, and mosses that have developed in the area, as shown by Richard Stalter. In addition, humans have transported foreign species to the area and have altered the habitat. However, as Stalter points out, these human alterations might explain why the High Line has one of the most diverse species populations in New York City. Stalter’s study shows that the High Line contains at least 161 species in 122 genera and 48 families and that the High Line has greater species richness than four nearby New York City sites including Bayswater State Park and Ellis Island. These facts show that the High Line would definitely fit into Marris’s concept of Rambunctious Garden. This is because the High Line has been allowed to develop on its own with very little interference and is still a beautiful place. In addition, people have added invasive species to the High Line and have altered it, but it still functions beautifully. Although it is not pristine, it is still naturally beautiful and very high in species diversity. Marris would consider the High Line to be a beneficial novel ecosystem.

Stalter’s research definitely has changed my viewpoint on ecology. This is because it is very interesting to see that a habitat could develop in an urban area and still be very rich in species diversity. His article makes me realize that there is no need for constant maintenance of ecosystems because they can develop on their own. Therefore, after reading the Stalter article and visiting the High Line, I believe my view on ecosystems has drawn closer to Marris’s view.

I think what was done to the High Line was a great idea. Abandoning the railroad and turning it into a pedestrian walkway is great for the city. Not only does it attract tourists, but it also attracts new and exotic species to the area. The High Line allows ecologists to study primary succession in an urban environment. It also acts as an escape for New Yorkers who want to get away from the stresses of urban life. In addition, the High Line can act as a prototype for the development of similar areas in other cities. All in all, I believe the High Line is great for New York City.

An eastern bumble bee pollinates a plant near West 23rd Street

An eastern bumble bee pollinates a compass plant near West 21st Street

An eastern bumble bee pollinates a Gibraltar bushclover near West 13th Street

A mysterious red and black insect resting on a plant near West 18th Street

A honey bee pollinates a broadleaf ironweed near West 16th Street

A long-horned bee pollinates a compass plant near West 19th Street

A mysterious brown and black insect on a plant near West 12th Street