Staten Island: Fresh Kills Park

The world largest garbage dump or landfill is in the process of being transformed into New York City’s newest park. It will be three times the size of Central Park and completely man made. The name Fresh Kill originated with the Dutch. A kille is a water channel and Fresh Kills is the name of the spring that flows through the area. The park will restore freshness to this area of Staten Island where wildlife was once abundant.

The process of converting the landfill into a gorgeous park is complex but extremely effective. The waste is first covered with soil which is covered with a plastic liner, to which a drain for the sludge (leachate) is added. Then all is covered with another barrier of soil and a layer of planting soil...Gas vents are inserted to collect the methane gas that is generated by the fermenting garbage. Voila, a park is created that is not only incredibly beautiful but also environmentally safe, with a sophisticated monitoring system.

There is much work to be done and the process will take thirty years to complete. Some sections may be opened in 5 to 10 bureaucratic years. In the meantime, Urban Rangers team up with other environmental agencies to provide tours of the developing park. They drive you in their minibus to the top of the mountain on a winding dirt road where the views are incredible.

Also incredible is the growing wildlife population. The first deer arrived this spring, joining the growing population of animals at the Fresh Kills Park. Who knows what next spring will bring.

Staten Island Botanical, Staten Island: Scholar's Garden

Tucked away within the Staten Island Botanical Garden is an artistic gem, a Chinese Scholar's Garden. A scholar's garden is the epitome of landscaping art for a private home. Located in a densely populated city, it creates a sense of tranquility and countryside, with the rocks symbolizing the distant mountains.

Entering the garden transports you back 700 years to the Ming Dynasty in China. The Assured Tranquility Pavilion, Moon Gate Of Uncommon Beauty, and Court Of Pure Mind And Spirit are just three of the eighteen named areas in the garden that create a sense of infinite space in a small area. Walking through is like a journey, each step providing a different and surprising sight.

This scholar’s garden was created in Suzhou, China and was rebuilt here with a team of forty Chinese artisans, and it was opened in 1999. Complete with all the traditional elements of rocks, water, walls, poetry, art, and walkways, it is a garden that draws you in, entices you, and invites you to stay.