Outdoors Outdoors THE FREE NEWSPAPER OF OUTDOOR ADVENTURE JULY / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2009 iinn NNewew YYorkork CCityity Includes CALENDAR OF URBAN PARK RANGER FREE PROGRAMS © 2009 Chinyera Johnson | Illustration 2 CITY OF NEW YORK PARKS & RECREATION www.nyc.gov/parks/rangers URBAN PARK RANGERS Message from: Don Riepe, Jamaica Bay Guardian To counteract this problem, the American Littoral Society in partnership with NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, National Park Service, NYC Department of Environmental Protection, NY State Department of Environmental Conservation, Jamaica Bay EcoWatchers, NYC Audubon Society, NYC Sierra Club and many other groups are working on various projects designed to remove debris and help restore the bay. This spring, we’ve organized a restoration cleanup and marsh planting at Plum Beach, a section of Gateway National Recreation Area and a major spawning beach for the ancient horseshoe crab. In May and June during the high tides, the crabs come ashore to lay their eggs as they’ve done for millions of years. This provides a critical food source for the many species of shorebirds that are migrating through New York City. Small fi sh such as mummichogs and killifi sh join in the feast as well. JAMAICA BAY RESTORATION PROJECTS: Since 1986, the Littoral Society has been organizing annual PROTECTING OUR MARINE LIFE shoreline cleanups to document debris and create a greater public awareness of the issue. This September, we’ll conduct Home to many species of fi sh & wildlife, Jamaica Bay has been many cleanups around the bay as part of the annual International degraded over the past 100 years through dredging and fi lling, Coastal Cleanup. In 2001, “Operation Jamaica Bay Clean Sweep,” a sewage and urban runoff , and shoreline development. Debris from cooperative partnership with many agencies and environmental roadways, combined sewer overfl ow pipes, marinas and other groups, initiated the process to remove derelict boats, docks, developments around the bay litters the shorelines and marshes. timbers and other heavy debris items from marshes and shorelines Fish, birds and other wildlife suff er from entanglement in discarded around the bay. To keep this process moving forward, the Jamaica fi shing line, plastic and other fl oatable trash as well as pollution Bay Task Force meets quarterly to hear from the diff erent agencies from crankcase oil and other liquid wastes that fi nd their way into and stakeholders as to the status of marsh restoration and water the bay. This debris also impacts marsh growth and creates a visual quality projects and programs. To learn more about the history, eyesore for the many visitors to sites around the bay. These marshes ecology, wildlife and management of the Jamaica Bay ecosystem provide critical habitat for many species of fi nfi sh that spend part or for more information about cleanups, fi eld trips and programs, of their life cycle in the bay. The marsh grasses act as cover for small check the Littoral Society website: www.alsnyc.org or call fi sh to hide and feed in. 718.318.9344. where 2,000 trees were planted, Inwood Hill Park in Manhattan Outdoor News where 275 trees were planted, Idlewild Park in Queens where NEW YORK CITY CELEBRATES MILLION TREES NYC 1,200 trees were planted, and Father Macris Park in Staten Island WITH SPRING PLANTINGS where 2,000 trees were planted. On April 1, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg proclaimed April 2009 MillionTreesNYC has also partnered with the City University as MillionTreesNYC Month in New York City. Parks & Recreation of New York (CUNY) and established a planting plan for CUNY Commissioner Adrian Benepe presented a proclamation by the campuses citywide. On May 1, Parks First Deputy Commissioner Mayor at Keil Brothers Garden Center and Nursery in Bayside Liam Kavanagh, City of New York Vice Chancellor Iris Weinshall, Hills, Queens. MillionTreesNYC Month, presented by BNP Paribas, York College CUNY Provost Dr. Ivelaw L. Griffi th and the CUNY sought to engage New Yorkers in MillionTreesNYC, a cornerstone community – students, administrators, friends and family – kicked of Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC initiative to create a more off the initiative and planted over 4,000 trees on CUNY campuses sustainable city. MillionTreesNYC is a public-private partnership and nearby parks throughout the fi ve boroughs in one day. between the City of New York and New York Restoration Project All New Yorkers will share in the many benefi ts that come from (NYRP) that aims to plant one million new trees throughout the planting trees in their yards – more beautiful neighborhoods; fi ve boroughs by 2017. cleaner air and water; higher property values; energy savings; Through a mix of public and private plantings, MillionTreesNYC cooler summer streets; and a healthier, more environmentally community partners and citizen volunteers are planting in places sustainable City. This summer, New Yorkers can get involved in such as schoolyards, public housing sites, health care facilities, many ways including planting, watering, and caring for their trees. business districts, commercial and residential developments, front For more information on how to join the movement, call yards and other private lands. At Hunts Point Recreation Center www.milliontreesnyc.org or call 311. in the Bronx, First Deputy Parks Commissioner Liam Kavanagh © THE FREE NEWSPAPER OF OUTDOOR ADVENTURE joined representatives from the New York Knicks, NBA Legendsgeg ndndsnd of Basketball Executive Director and former Knick player CharlesChaCh rlelees Smith, former NBA professional Anthony Avent, and youthh ffromrom Parks’ Acorns to Oaks tree education program to green the property with 50 new trees on April 8. In celebration of Arboror Day,DayD , Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning actress Glenn Close,ee, Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe, New York City Departmentnt OutdoorsOutdoors iininn NNewNewew YYorkYorkork CCityCityity of Education Chancellor Joel Klein, NYRP Executive Director Drewew Becher, CEO of BNP Paribas, North America Everett Schenk, and Planning Sarah Aucoin, Director more than 500 New York City public school students, corporatete ProgramsP Bonnie McGuire, Deputy Director and community volunteers planted 200 trees in East Williamsburg,buurg, Brooklyn at the fi rst-ever Arbor Day Tree-mendous Challenge. OperationsOperaatio Richard Simon, Captain PProgramsrograms Marta Arroyo, Program Manager On April 25, more than 1,300 volunteers planted 20,000 trees during the 15th annual Hands on New York Day, sponsored by Graphicraphp ici DesignDesign Elizabeth Green, Graphic Artist HSBC Bank. Planting sites included Claremont Park in the Bronx Researchch Shalini Beath, Grants Manager where 1,500 trees were planted, Spring Creek Park in Brooklyn Urban Park Rangers • 1234 Fifth Avenue • New York City 10029 URBAN PARK RANGERS www.nyc.gov/parks/rangers CITY OF NEW YORK PARKS & RECREATION 3 FISHING ALONG THE HUDSON By AnneMarie Vaduva, Urban Park Ranger This summer, the Urban Park Rangers invite you to salt- water fi shing events happening throughout the fi ve boroughs as we pay tribute to the Hudson River. Running up to 216 feet deep near West Point, and Flounder 3.5 miles wide near Harriman State Park, the Hudson Striped Bass or Fluke has been shaping this land for tens of thousands of years. Long before the Dutch and English discovered it 400 years ago, and long before the Lenape and Iroquois Indians started living along its shores over 8000 years ago, the river ran its course through a land of mastadons and mammoths during times when the sea level was 300 feet lower than it is today. Weakfi sh Bluefi sh The Lenape named it the Muhheakantuck, which translates to “a river that fl ows in two directions.” Today, the Hudson River is an important route to the Atlantic Ocean and allows for the transportation of people and Porgy/Scup goods around New York City. As useful as it is to people, the river is even more important to the hundreds of species of fi sh, plants and Fishing Events for July, August, September animals that live in the river permanently or use it as a stopover breeding ground. BRONX The headwaters of the Hudson River are 315 miles north of New Location Time(s) Date(s) York City, in Lake Tear of the Clouds, 4346 feet up on Mount Marcy, Crotona Park 11 am-2 pm 7/5 & 8/15 New York State’s highest peak. From there the river fl ows south and Pelham Bay Park 2pm 7/11 & 8/2 the nature of its water and the kind of fi sh one fi nds changes as it fl ows through diff erent types of rocks and ecosystems. Van Cortlandt Park 12pm-2pm 7/25 & 8/9 Barretto Point Park 10am & 1pm 7/26/09 The northern section of the river is surrounded by the large forests of the Adirondack mountains. The mountains that gave birth to the Pelham Bay Park 11am 8/30/09 Hudson are an old chain of hard, metamorphic rocks. The river there BROOKLYN is clear, cold and clean. Go fi shing here and you’ll fi nd fi ve types of Location Time(s) Date(s) trout including the rainbow and cutthroat varieties. There are other kinds of fi sh to catch in the north, but none love cold fresh water as Louis J Valentino Pier, Red Hook 10am 7/4, 8/2, & 8/8 much as trout. Prospect Park Audubon Center 10am 7/11, 7/25, 8/16 & 8/23 As the river’s water approaches the Catskills region, the landscape changes to farms, pastures and forests and the river bed beneath is MANHATTAN now sedimentary, a softer rock more easily given to erosion by the Location Time(s) Date(s) movement of this large, strong river. Calcium and other minerals in Central Park, Dana Discovery 10am 7/11 the rock are dissolved in the water changing its chemistry as well as Center clarity.