Local Ecologist

I am documenting the "how's" of how enslaved and free Africans and their descendants made lives and livelihoods, and a new city, out of the historical ecology of Manhattan island. I use two frameworks: "Black ecologies" by Justin Hosbey and J.T. Roane and a "spatial analysis of slavery" by Andrea Mosterman. In this post, I tell a short version of this project in three collages. This first slide tells the story of the creation of New Amsterdam. The "F" on the top map, circa 1639 indicates the "quarter of the company slaves," the company being the Dutch West India Company. I learned about this place from the work of Andrea Mosterman , author of Spaces of Enslavement . The landscape of place denoted by "F" on the 1639 Vingboon Map was a Red Maple Hardwood Swamp and an Oak-Tulip Tree Forest (bottom left). The water source of the swamp was the Saw Mill, a creek named for the milling industry at the location. Enslaved Africans h

Two chickens, two pigs, and huts, Jamaica, William Berryman, loc.gov If you are Jamaican, then you know the proverb in the title of this post. I grew up hearing this idiom in conversations about a person or people who had fallen from grace. It was also used as a warning to be mindful about how you carried yourself in the world. My husband, who is not Jamaican but has heard me talk about "when the chicken is merry, the hawk is near," brought it up when I told him about a recent I am Julie Mango video. In the video, Julie Mango compares what a Jamaican vs others would say about standing on a high balcony . Others talk about the beautiful view, while the Jamaican only points out the potential hazards: falling from the balcony, hurting yourself, dying.  The mode of flogging slaves, J. Hatchard and son, loc.gov After reflecting on this Julie Mango video, I realized that I fight against this cynical and skeptical cultural inclination. I also acknowledge its necessity, borne of his

Plant press in the field. Photo by Olga Nayda on Unsplash. Newsletters have waxed and waned in popularity over the past couple of decades. Last fall the NY Times asked if paid newsletters have peaked . Maybe so. The newsletters I tend to read, written by naturalists and nonprofits have been less vulnerable to the whims of capitalist bubbles. The newsletters in my inbox range from big data to urban nature. This is a list of my favorite nature newsletters. If your must-read is not on this list, tell me about it in the comments . NYC Microseasons As a student of seasonal change especially in trees and birds, I took great pleasure in reading the phenological missives published by Erin Chapman and Allison C. Meier. The project has ended but you can read the entire collection here . Grow Like Wild Ecological horticulturist Rebecca MacMackin launched her newsletter in 2021. MacMackin’s mission is “to share studies, stories, and talking points with people engaged in this work so that w

A residential building on West Street in Manhattan has a unique feature at street level. The street trees are planted in a grove. Technically, the trees are not in the public right-of-way. They are growing in the building's setback. However, their layout and relationship to nearby street trees are striking. This sighting was the nudge I needed to write about street tree planting design. I will cover three aspects of street tree planting design: the arrangement of street trees in the public right-of-way, species selection, and forest structure. I will conclude with several creative solutions. Street Tree Layout The tree-lined city has its origins in the late 16th century and early 17th century when trees were planted along canals in Amsterdam (Lawrence, 1988). Street trees are usually planted in a single row on the curbside of the sidewalk. The design goal is to create even spacing, respecting the average canopy spread of the tree at maturity, and creating a harmonious look. Traditi

A crow flying in front of the Mexico City skyline; Photo by Luis Dominguez The westward walk in the morning the sight of gulls remind me I live nearby a big river. I like hearing the crows because I think of landscapes just outside the city. Suddenly many, many crows a roost, but where? I like watching robins in the park because I don't have a backyard. I enjoy the soaring of the Red-tailed Hawk whose specific epithet links to my childhood The aerial conflict between the hawk and kestrel outside my window wilds the sky. I smile at the squawk of the Blue Jay because I slow to look up and around. The tin vocalizations of the starlings are preferred to the overwhelm of the din of urban noises. Titmouse and juncos make me think of snow These adorable birds are here and it hasn't yet snowed. I am soothed by the song of the White-throated Sparrow. Churr, a flight of red, and black and white for sure a Red-bellied Woodpecker. Another but different red the House Finch are here. Mewling

Tuliptree, Liriodendron tulipifera , is my favorite tree. I am pleased to have an essay about this species in the September/October 2022 issue of City Trees. Thank you to Michelle Sutton for her skilled revisions and to Sarah Gugercin for the appealing layout.  Here is an excerpt. The myriad forms of tulip tree’s leaf and flower are striking. The terminal bud, with its valvate scales, favors a duck’s bill. According to my friend Akilah, the two-lobed leaf resembles a cat’s face. The tree’s flower, I suppose, resembles the flower of a tulip bulb, but the blossom of tulip tree is more complex. Read the entire article at City Trees . Also, see alt test for image details.