I visited the High Line for the first time on September 20th. 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.
