Anyone 40 years old and up can probably recall back when the name "Fresh Kills" meant anything but fresh. Fresh Kills was one of the largest landfills and man-made structures in the world, covering 2,200 acres along the western shoreline of the New York City borough of Staten Island. The landfill was so large that it could be seen with the naked eye from space and the bulky mounds of trash were so high that at one time they were taller than the Statue of Liberty, at a height of 225 feet above sea level.
Opened in 1947, the infamous Fresh Kills Landfill quickly became New York City's main landfill, taking in at one time approximately 150 million tons of solid waste per day. For the last half of the 20th century it was a dirty, smelly, vile blemish on the entire New York- New Jersey metropolitan region. The landfill was a source of jokes for many comedians, a smelly eye-sore for local residents, and a cause of pollution to local waters. Trash and dust were released into the air from unloading barges and trucks, and chemicals were dispensed into local groundwater by leaching. It was a notoriously obnoxious dump.
Yet that was then and this is now. All that has changed. The site is no longer an active landfill. The four large mounds of debris and rubbish have been permanently capped and covered layers of compacted soil and then planted with vegetation to prevent erosion of the soil by rainfall and wind. The vegetation consists of grasses and shrubs. The NYC Department of Sanitation is also actively harvesting methane from the decomposing waste to heat approximately 22,000 homes on Staten Island. All of sudden the landfill gas represents a good source local, home-grown usable energy.
Still, the best news to come of the old Fresh Kills Landfill is that the entire area is planned to be reused as a city-owned public park. In October 2009 a reclamation process started to create the Fresh Kills Park. When completed the transformation of what was formerly the world’s largest landfill will give rise to a beautiful and sizeable park, the largest park developed in New York City in over 100 years.
What was once a dump will be a valuable cultural and waterfront recreational area in Staten Island. The park will include a large lawn for gatherings, sporting events, artwork, and picnics, a long promenade along the water’s edge that will support restaurants and an open–air market. There will also be places to go fishing, launch a kayak and canoe, trails for walking, running, bicycling, and great views across the water towards the natural beauty of wetlands and meadows. All this and more in one of the most urban and congested coastlines in the world.
The only problem is that the new park will not be officially completed and fully open to the public for at least another 30 years. That's a very long wait.
Fortunately, I and about 10 other people were able to take a sneak peek of a portion of the new park a few weeks ago. We had signed up for a special kayak tour with the New York - New Jersey Baykeeper, a local non-profit environmental organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the ecological integrity and productivity of the Hudson-Raritan Estuary. Throughout the summer and early fall, the Baykeeper offers public kayak tours around the estuary. On this occasion it was to be Fresh Kills in Staten Island. Despite a humid day filled with spotty showers, it was a wonderful experience for everyone to explore this urban wilderness around the New York metropolitan region.
Our tour guide for the 3-hour kayak trip was Michel Callery, a planner with the City of New York Parks and Recreation Department. He was a gracious and helpful host who supplied the group with kayaks, paddles, and lifejackets. Michael was also an informative guide providing facts about the history and the ecology of the park. For example, did you know the name "kill" comes from an Old Dutch word meaning stream, creek, brook, or channel. The name Fresh Kills is believed to come from the historical natural features of the site which, prior to landfilling, was dominated by forests, tidal wetlands, freshwater wetlands, and small streams. It was not uncommon in the 17th century for people to use the word ‘fresh’ when naming places with "fresh" spring or drinkable water. By 1750, Fresh Kills was known by city residents and was appearing on local maps.
What an incredible sight to see by paddling along Fresh Kills how nature has adapted to all the changes that have taken place over the centuries around the tidal waters. The intertidal marsh is back and so is the wildlife including countless egrets, herons, Ospreys, Diamondback Terrapins, and Blue-Claw Crabs. The Isle of Meadows located at the mouth of Fresh Kills has become an important nesting area for herons and other wading birds.
Despite its dreadful past, Fresh Kills is now a rather calm and peaceful place. There is a wide landscape of wetland grasses, low scrub brush and meadows. Newly planted small trees are scattered about. Herons, egrets and other water birds are commonly seen foraging on small fish, such as killifish, mummichogs, and spearing. Ospreys are common nesters throughout the marsh. Occasionally a Diamondback Terrapin head will pop out of the water for a breath of fresh air and to float alongside your kayak.
It's only when you look in the distance do you see skyscrapers, smokestacks, and urban life. Otherwise, a large portion of the park seems wild, natural, and magical until the occasional candy wrapper or plastic bottle floats by you kayak.
As we paddled upstream along Main Creek there was ample evidence of the wetland's return. Shallow waters showed off large schools of swift moving fish. The vegetation around the water was growing thick and lush. There was a good gathering of terns, cormorants, ducks, and Marsh Wrens.
No doubt, Fresh Kills is one of the best kept natural secrets in New York City. It's an oasis among the busy and bustling noisy streets that make up our urban-suburban sprawling landscape. This unusual green place demands to be visited buy anyone seeking a sweet natural escape.
Luckily, you don't have to wait too long to enjoy the sneak peek of the park for yourself. For more information about Fresh Kills parks including special opportunities to visit the park, please check out the City of New York Parks and Recreation website: http://www.nycgovparks.org/park-features/freshkills-park/more-information#tabTop
For more information about the NY-NJ Baykeeper and their kayak tours around New York Harbor including Sandy Hook Bay and Raritan Bay, check out their website: http://nynjbaykeeper.org/
For more information, pictures and year-round sightings of wildlife in or near Sandy Hook Bay, please check out my blog entitled, Nature on the Edge of New York City at http://www.natureontheedgenyc.com
