Central Park: A Learning Experience

The Conservatory Gardens

The Soils Lab

Pruning

During my three weeks at Central Park I was privileged enough to work in virtually every department in the Conservancy. By rotating through every department I was allowed a rare look at how this amazing 845 acre work of art operates on a daily basis. I would like to talk about a few of these departments and what I learned while I was there. First, I will explain the various jobs I did while in the Horticulture department and what I learned. I would also like to talk about the Capitol Projects Department and their role in the park. All of the jobs I did over the past three weeks have helped me to better understand Landscape Architecture and how important it is to design for the future as well as for maintenance issues.

While working with the Horticulture Department I was allowed to work with an assortment of zone gardeners with very different tasks. If you are unfamiliar with "zone gardeners" it is a title referring to a system were the park is divided systematically into many zones with assigned "zone gardeners" who are responsible for the area on a daily basis. The first zone gardener I worked with took care of the Great Lawn and the baseball fields located on it. At 7 am in the morning we went out to the lawn to prepare the fields for 11 o'clock when they open to the public. During this time I learned that the Great Lawn is engineered to withstand the large amount of activity on it every day. The soil is 97% sand for a quick rebound with a special hardy bluegrass/rye grass mix. The underground water level is even controllable, in order to promote deep root growth. This type of information is very useful to me as a landscape architecture student, because now when I am designing an are a such as this I will know the possibilities of what can be done and how. Continuing with my experience I was also allowed a chance to work at the Central Park Conservatory. The Conservatory is probably one of the least know areas, yet in my eyes it ranks at the top of the most beautiful places in the park. Even though the conservatory was torn down many years ago due to the cost of maintenance three spectacular gardens remain on the site. While working in the conservatory I learned about how to arrange perennials and annuals so that there is variation in textures and color while providing visual interest year around. Another very important part of the Horticulture Department is the soils and water lab, because without the proper soil none of the plants in the park would be able to survive. While working with in the soils lab we conducted various tests on the pond water in order to find a natural cure for the algae that has recently inhabited some of the water bodies in the park. We also conducted many soil tests in order to identify the type of soil and the levels of nutrients in them. If I had to best explain the horticulture department I would describe it as the heartbeat of Central Park, because without these dedicated people there would be no park.

Along with maintenance there are also restoration projects year round. Over time many areas of the park have degraded and have to be restored in order to preserve their original intent, and that is were the Capitol Projects Department comes in. While with capitol projects I worked on the as built drawings of a playground on the verge of completion, viewed the oak bridge restoration, and a portion of the East Meadow restoration. It was during this time that I realized that even though an installed landscape is deemed as "finished" it is never truly finished and will continue throughout its life cycle with code updates, restorations, etc. The people who work with Capitol Projects are true to the original design of Olmstead and Vaux and even go as far as reverting landscapes that have been changed over the years back to their original intent. It is through this continual process of restoration that the ideas of Olmstead and Vaux will live on for future generations.

Overall, I learned more at Central Park than I could have ever imagined. The dedication to the park by the people at the Conservancy is amazing. They continually work weekends and night shifts so that the park remains the National Treasure it is. It was through this experience that I realized how rewarding work with public parks is and its possibility as my career emphasis.

The Central Park Conservancy: "It's Essential"

Bill Berliner Tree Tour

Philharmonic

Bethesda Fountain

Many people think of Central Park as the premier public green space in America, and at this point I would agree that this statement is unarguably true. However, what many people do not realize is why, how, and by whom Central Park is maintained as living work of art for the enjoyment of all. Honestly before arriving in New York City I was one of those people, but over the past week I have been exposed to a remarkable NON-PROFIT GROUP. Yeah, that's right non-profit, the majority of people entering the park believe that their taxes pay to keep this park beautiful. Although this may be the case in 99% of public parks this is not the case in Central Park. This is what makes Central Park an innovator in park operations and maintenance. The Conservancy is the sole reason for the park being what it is today, by providing 85% of the yearly $27 million dollar operating budget it is responsible for all basic care of the park.

Since the original selection of Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux's Greensward Plan in 1857 the park has undergone many declines and renewals in its appearance. The most recent of which occurred in the 1960s and 70s. During these years the parks lawns were neglected and trampled, while fountains and building were covered by with graffiti leaving the park in a state of disrepair which followed with a reputation for crime.

Finally, in 1975 when the park had reached it lowest point many groups in support of a better park pulled together and founded the Central Park Conservancy in 1980 with William Beinecke as Chairman and Betsy Barlow Rogers as Central Park Administrator. Over the next 28 years the park has worked to restore, manage, and enhance Central Park. To date they have invested over 500 million dollars into the park, thanks to the help of many donors. This money has went to projects such as restoring Belvedere Castle and an 18 million dollar renovation of the Great Lawn.

So next time your in Central Park and you throw a piece of trash on the ground, because you "pay" to keep the park clean remember what you read here. Maybe then you will go out of your way to thank the amazing people at the Central Park Conservancy, and to do your part to keep the park beautiful for future generations to come.

Over the past week I have been exposed to many of the various departments in the Central Park Conservancy and began to realize what it really takes to run an 840 acre park in the center of an urban setting. It is truly amazing and I will keep you updated on what unfolds over the next two weeks.

An Inspiration: Queens Botanical Garden

Cleaning Up

Over the past three weeks I have had an extraordinary time at the Queens Botanical Garden. I have experienced almost every aspect of the daily operations of the garden over a very short time. Although this has been a great experience, I understand do to the limited amount of time, that I have only seen a fraction of what it actually takes to maintain a garden such as this. Over the past three weeks I was involved in researching, verifying, and documenting field conditions in the construction documents on the parking garden, which is a work in progress. Along with this I was involved in facilitating project communications with the project team, city agencies, staff, and visitors as well as assisting with coordinating activities of contractors, QBG staff, and the public. The most important thing I was involved in over the past three weeks, I can best describe as sustainable landscape maintenance. An example of this can be seen in the photograph posted above which includes myself and a fellow intern performing routine maintenance on the cleansing biotope at the garden. Although some may find this humorous it is an essential part of ensuring the functionality of the sustainable landscapes at Queens Botanical Garden. By working in almost every department within the garden I came to realize the importance of each in the accomplishment of the overall goal and vision of the garden.

Queens Botanical Garden has more than anything taught me the true meaning of family and hospitality. Even though I was a new employee who's term would undoubtably be short, I was welcomed with open arms and accepted into a circle of close knit workers with a common goal of creating an inviting, environmentally friendly, green-space for the surrounding community. Even though I only spent three weeks at Queens Botanical Garden I have found friendships and ideals of a greener world that will inspire me and last long past my short stay in New York City.

Queens Botanical Garden

Everything is going great in New York. I am learning a lot about green building, since I am working at the Queens Botanical Garden which houses a Leed Platinum certified building. Leed Platinum is not an award that is easy to acquire, it takes years of dedication and research by many people. The staff at Queens Botanical Garden exemplifies dedication. By maintaining virtually the same staff throughout the entire process they have created a premier example of a environmentally friendly building and landscape.

The landscape includes a green roof which helps to regulate the temperature within the building. There is also cleansing biotope that naturally filters rainwater using sand, gravel, and various water loving plants. Due to the water capturing system which includes multiple bioswales, there is zero run-off into the city sewers allowing for the use of 100% water collected on-site as well as reducing strain on the already over used New York City storm sewer system. Another really interesting feature is that they use a geothermal well to heat and cool the building. Currently there is also a parking garden with bio-swales and porous pavers under construction.

I could go on for hours about the various environmental practices involving sun, water, and earth used at Queens Botanical Garden to create a harmonious relationship between man and nature, but then you wouldn't have a reason to go visit this truly amazing place. I am learning a lot about the future practices of landscape architecture, architecture, and construction which is making for a very exciting experience.