Photo: Anthony Quintano/Flickr
Central Park may be New York’s best-known green space, but it’s not the only place that city dwellers can get a taste of the great outdoors. Although it might be tough to believe while walking through Midtown, natural areas cover an impressive 10,000 acres in New York City — that’s over 12 times the size of Central Park.
The trick, of course, is knowing where to find those pockets of nature amid the busy city. To help people do just that, the Natural Areas Conservancy spent two years creating an interactive map that shows exactly where they are. Launched this week, it allows users to view all of New York City’s forests, wetlands and grasslands.
“New Yorkers may be surprised to learn about the astounding natural diversity right in our backyard,” Sarah Charlop-Powers, executive director of the Natural Areas Conservancy, told QNS.
Alley Pond Park, for instance, is the most diverse park in Queens with 230 unique plant species:
Map: Natural Areas Conservancy
Meanwhile, Bayside’s Cunningham Park holds a five-foot-wide tree, the largest tree discovered in the city:
Map: Natural Areas Conservancy
But it’s not all fun and games. While the Natural Areas Conservancy wants to help people in New York City get in touch with nature, it’s also interested in helping support environmental conservation in the city. To that end, the organization also cataloged its flora and fauna — in all, it found that the city supports 2,100 tree and plant species, 180 rare animal species and more.
“Our research will shape future conservation efforts as we work to make NYC’s wild places accessible to new audiences,” Charlop-Powers said. An initial step in that direction will be the creation of trails at some of the city’s green spots.
