Have you ever wondered how many trees there are in Central Park? Well, now there’s a map for that!
Author Edward Barnard and birdwatcher Ken Chaya have mapped almost all of the 20,000 trees in the park! Two and a half years of work and many miles of walking resulted in their map, which they have named “Central Park Entire.”
According to the story on NPR, Barnard decided to compile a list of the trees in Central Park while writing his book, New York City Trees, available to preview here on Google Books. Chaya agreed to help with the lengthy task, and the two discovered that there are around 2o different species in the park. Some have been growing since before the park was established in 1857!
Mr. Chaya expressed admiration for the park’s creators, Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux. “Olmsted used trees the way an artist uses colors,” he says. “He used them to create curtains, walls, corners, and it looks natural. Many people think this is what Manhattan looked like before Central Park. Well, Central Park — before it was Central Park — was a desolate, rocky swamp.”
So, the next time you are in New York and decide to take a stroll through Central Park, take some time to notice the beautiful trees around you! And you can even take along the Central Park Entire map, available for purchase on Edward Barnard and Ken Chaya’s website: Central Park Nature.
Check out a video of their efforts below!
About Jennifer Mishler
Jennifer is an animal advocate and activist. She is a volunteer coordinator with The Girls Gone Green, a nonprofit organization advocating for animals rights, veganism, and environmentalism. She is also an Onshore Volunteer with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and a volunteer with CJ Acres Animal Rescue Farm, a nonprofit that rescues and rehabilitates farm animals. Along with writing for Ecorazzi, she writes about veganism and animal rights on her blog, A Dog's Eye View. She lives in Jacksonville, FL with her husband and their three animal friends. Follow Jennifer on Twitter: @jennygoneveganView all posts by Jennifer Mishler →
