As the city that never sleeps, New York City is known for it’s constant buzz. The people and machines bring an eclectic variety of noises and smells that fill the city. It’s known for it’s architectural beauty and collection of arts that fill historical museums and sites across the city. But the mention of other living things within New York is usually involving the overwhelming population of rats and pigeons.
Last year, as freshmen we had the opportunity to study the arts of New York City and the chance to learn about the gentrification of certain neighborhoods that were filled with varieties of ethnicities. Recently though, the event BioBlitz was a good eye opener to many of us that NYC has natural beauty to offer aside from what we find off the canvas and outside of the Central Park zoo.
Bioblitz gave students the opportunity to see parts of nature that we never take the time to examine and to contribute to its further study and growth. It gave students the ability to see how human interaction effects nature and that so many new species can come about and how so many can be destroyed so easily from human action and accident. From someone deciding to let their fish go in the waters of the area to even leaving a piece of trash can cause a reaction and lead to some alteration in the natural order within Central Park.
Paired with specialists, Macaulay students were given the opportunity to be a part of data collection of species in Central Park. Already the event was successful in improving knowledge of our surroundings, but in the future it will hopefully provide needed evidence to better any needed regulations to sustain specific animal and plant life in the area. Even though the jobs entailed doing some dirty work, it was an amazing opportunity for Macaulay students and was an eye opening experience.
