Heather Liljengren, a field taxonomist with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, examines the seed pods of the Virginia spiderwort at Oakwood Beach, Staten Island. Liljengren collects seeds from across the region for a seed bank of native plants.
Heather Liljengren, a field taxonomist with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, examines the seed pods of the Virginia spiderwort at Oakwood Beach, Staten Island. Liljengren collects seeds from across the region for a seed bank of native plants.
Across the New York region, people are still working to rebuild homes and businesses after the havoc wrought by Hurricane Sandy. But the storm also devastated the dunes and native flora of New York's beaches.
When the city replants grasses on those dunes, it will be able to draw on seeds from precisely the grasses that used to thrive there. That's because of a very special kind of bank: a seed bank run by the Greenbelt Native Plant Center on Staten Island.
Heather Lea Liljengren has been a seed collector and field taxonomist for the New York City Parks Department, which runs the Native Plant Center, for more than five years. She's been on the hunt for new deposits: plant seeds that might ensure the survival of the city's flora.
Traipsing through the swampy wetlands of Staten Island's Oakland Beach, Liljengren crashes through towering phragmites, the common reeds that have invaded the world's wetlands and compete with local grasses. When the grasses get this tall taller than an adult human "It's hard to remember where the trail used to be," Liljengren says.
She says she loves being in a swamp and is thrilled to be out in the wilds of New York City, hunting for seeds that are ripe for collecting. "When people walk around, they maybe just see green. But when I walk around I am drawn to every small flowering thing, from the ground all the way up into the trees."
"Well, what a treat," she says, peering at the blooms of the thin-leafed iris, iris prismatica. "[This is] one of the only spots, I believe, in the five boroughs where this species naturally still exists. ... The insects that will come and pollinate these irises love them."
That's why native flora is so important, Liljengren says: If these plants disappear, then so will the insects. In time, the loss of species will snowball.
Seeds are coaxed out of dormancy in the nursery at the Greenbelt Native Plant Center on Staten Island. The center considers its seed bank the "Library of Congress" for the region's native plants.
More:
To Rebuild NYC's Beaches, A Native Plant Savings And Loan
- Seabean Symposium-Live Blogging [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Alvaro Jaramillo Talks Gulls at 2010 Space Coast Birding Festival [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Fall Sunset on Anna Maria [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Fort Myers Beach Photos Revisited [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Reinier Munguia Keynote at Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Wilderness Matters [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Raptor Project Brings Winged Predators to Space Coast Birding Festival [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Sandscupting Festival on Fort Myers Beach [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- David Allen Sibley to Deliver Keynote at Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival 2010 [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Kevin Mims & Paddle Florida on the Suwannee River [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Zipolite Beach, Oaxaca, Mexico, Central America [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Port Charlotte Beach Park, Port Charlotte, Florida [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- The Kent in South Beach, Miami – Budget Beach Hotel in Florida [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Key West, Florida Dog Beach – Where Pooches Can Play [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- The Startling White Sand of Hyams Beach, New South Wales, Australia [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Palm Island Beach, Cape Haze, Florida [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- A Surfer’s Paradise at Punta Morena Beach, Cozumel [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Sand the Color of Olives: Papakolea Beach, Hawaii [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Destin, Florida [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Visiting Indialantic Beach? Check out the Crowne Plaza Melbourne Beach [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Say Good-bye to Manatee County Public Beach Pier [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Eco-tourism Field Trips at the Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Birding at Sea: Pelagic Birding Aboard the Pastime Princess [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival Video Clip [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Gulfster’s Surf Trip to Puerto Rico [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Holiday Candlelight Tour of Homes, St. Petersburg, FL [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Kevin Mims: An Outdoorsman to Follow [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- How Big is This Wave? [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Birders: Making a List and Checking it Forever [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Hunting Island State Park – Dog Friendly Beach in Beaufort, SC [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Beach Hotels in Ocean Park, Washington [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- San Diego, CA – Ocean Beach Dog Beach [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Best Beaches for Collecting Sea Glass [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Swimwear in 2010 combines key trends [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- S-Turns Beach in Rodanthe, Outer Banks of North Carolina, Wiped Out By Nor’easter [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- In Awe at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Okinawa, Japan [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Summertime in the Outer Banks, North Carolina [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Panama City Beach May Not Welcome Spring Breakers in 2010 [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Bahia Honda Beach near Key West, Florida [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- U.S. Supreme Court Hears Case Regarding Florida Beach Ownership [Last Updated On: December 14th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 14th, 2009]
- Historic Sites of Canaveral National Seashore [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2009]
- Myrtle Beach Building Boardwak Along Beachfront, Adding Amenities [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2009]
- Barrier Island Center Upcoming Events 2010 – Melbourne Beach, Florida [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2009]
- Florida Wildflowers & Plants – Space Coast Birding Festival Field Trip [Last Updated On: December 20th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 20th, 2009]
- Jellyfish in Long Beach Aquarium [Last Updated On: December 20th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 20th, 2009]
- Heron Island in Great Barrier Reef under new management [Last Updated On: December 21st, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 21st, 2009]
- Sunset on Longboat Key [Last Updated On: December 23rd, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 23rd, 2009]
- Pishing With Pete at the Space Coast Birding Festival [Last Updated On: December 23rd, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 23rd, 2009]
- Summer is Over, but it Lives on My Hard Drive [Last Updated On: December 25th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 25th, 2009]
- 800 Pound Beachball to Drop Over Panama City Beach, Florida on New Year’s Eve [Last Updated On: December 27th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 27th, 2009]
- Birding by Ear and Habitat with Paddy Cunningham-Pascatore [Last Updated On: December 27th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 27th, 2009]
- Prevention of Overfishing of Coral Reefs Reduces Occurrence of Coral Diseases [Last Updated On: December 28th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 28th, 2009]
- Florida Screech Owls Encouraged by Nest Boxes [Last Updated On: December 28th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 28th, 2009]
- Cayo Costa Photo Memories [Last Updated On: December 28th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 28th, 2009]
- Family Activities at the Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival [Last Updated On: December 31st, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 31st, 2009]
- BeachHunter’s Top 10 Beach Photos in 2009 [Last Updated On: January 2nd, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 2nd, 2010]
- Viera Wetlands is a Premier Birding Destination in Brevard County [Last Updated On: January 2nd, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 2nd, 2010]
- Here are a Few More Florida Summer Beach Memories. [Last Updated On: January 3rd, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 3rd, 2010]
- Lake Morat Puts the Beach in Swiss Beaches [Last Updated On: January 6th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 6th, 2010]
- Smoking Banned at Beaches Around the Country [Last Updated On: January 6th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 6th, 2010]
- Identifying Gulls – A Field Trip to Brevard County Landfill [Last Updated On: January 6th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 6th, 2010]
- Victoria and Albert Museum in London Sponsors World Beach Project [Last Updated On: January 7th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 7th, 2010]
- Does It Snow in Florida? [Last Updated On: January 9th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 9th, 2010]
- Sun, sand and history found in Bodrum, Turkey [Last Updated On: January 9th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 9th, 2010]
- Winter swimming rules at Den Haag’s beaches. [Last Updated On: January 9th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 9th, 2010]
- Boats, Kayaks and Birds [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2010]
- Snorkeling with Sea Turtles in Akumal, Mexico [Last Updated On: January 11th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 11th, 2010]
- A Hidden Gem – San Agustinillo, Oaxaca, Mexico [Last Updated On: January 12th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 12th, 2010]
- Penguins on the Beach at Betty’s Bay [Last Updated On: January 12th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 12th, 2010]
- Robert Amoruso Photography Workshops at Space Coast Birding Festival [Last Updated On: January 12th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 12th, 2010]
- Scuba Diving with Bull Sharks in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico [Last Updated On: January 13th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 13th, 2010]
- California Beach Tradition Threatened [Last Updated On: January 13th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 13th, 2010]
- Who’s Going to the 13th Annual Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival? [Last Updated On: January 15th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 15th, 2010]
- Getting Away From It All in the Dry Tortugas [Last Updated On: January 16th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 16th, 2010]
- History of the Bikini [Last Updated On: January 19th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 19th, 2010]
- Conservation and the Economics of Birding [Last Updated On: January 20th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 20th, 2010]
- Landlocked Swiss Hit the Beach at Lake Zurich [Last Updated On: January 21st, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 21st, 2010]
- Northern Ireland’s Blue Flag Beaches [Last Updated On: January 22nd, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 22nd, 2010]
- A beach of sorts in old Dun Laoghaire. [Last Updated On: January 22nd, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 22nd, 2010]
- Beach Sunrise Memories [Last Updated On: January 22nd, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 22nd, 2010]