Preserving Uptown's Natural Beauty: A Park Guide for World Nature Conservation Day
Celebrate World Nature Conservation Day on July 28 by visiting and supporting Uptown's parks and their conservation efforts.
World Nature Conservation Day, celebrated annually on July 28, serves as a reminder to appreciate and protect our planet's natural beauty. It's the perfect day to visit the parks in your neighborhood and support local organizations working to conserve natural areas.
July 28 is also an opportunity to acknowledge the Lenape people, the original stewards of the land now known as Manhattan. Through nature conservation work, local parks serve an important purpose in continuing to nurture natural areas in Manhattan for future generations to learn from and enjoy. Here is a list of a few well-known and lesser-known parks Uptown that contain natural areas, along with some of the dedicated organizations that nurture them.
Riverside Park
With scenic views of the Hudson, plenty of recreational activities, and long stretches of forest trails, Riverside Park serves as crucial green space for many Uptown residents. But did you know that the northern section of the park is also designated a NYC Parks Forever Wild Area?
The Forever Wild Program is an initiative of NYC Parks that protects ecologically valuable land across the city, including over 12,400 acres of natural areas. The northern section of Riverside Park features a black cherry succession forest—where vegetation establishes and progresses over a time—with native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers, all of which make excellent habitats for native birds, bees, and other species. Learn more about stewardship of Riverside Park at Riverside Park Conservancy’s website.
Fort Tryon Park
Spanning both Washington Heights and Inwood, Fort Tryon Park boasts eight miles of pedestrian paths, The Met Cloisters, beautiful trails, and views of the Hudson and the Palisades. If you’re interested in learning more about the natural areas and species in the park, Fort Tryon Park Trust holds free Nature Walks with expert naturalists who provide informational tours of Fort Tryon and its sister parks Uptown. Stay updated by signing up for their email newsletter or checking the events calendar on their website.
Nestled within Fort Tryon Park is Bennett Rest whose total park area, according to the Natural Area Conservancy’s NYC Nature Map, is designated as completely natural.
Highbridge Park
Highbridge Park, named after one of the city’s oldest standing pedestrian bridges, is perched atop rocky cliffs right along the Harlem River and on the West Side of Manhattan. The unique landscape offers numerous serene, wandering pathways perfect for enjoying peaceful moments in the city.
The northern half of Highbridge Park is carefully maintained by the New York Restoration Project (NYRP), which restores forests in the park, replaces invasive and non-native species, and helps the park’s biodiversity thrive.
Inwood Hill Park
On the northern tip of Manhattan sits Inwood Hill Park, home to Manhattan’s last natural forest and salt marsh known as the Shorakapok Preserve, named in honor of the Lenape that once resided in the area. Much of the park remains largely untouched by modern development, with evidence of its prehistoric roots visible in valleys, caves, and ridges created by shifting glaciers.
Its natural landscape provides a critical habitat for native wildlife, attracting over 150 species of birds, including bald eagles. If you’d like to happen upon one of these majestic birds in the city, Inwood Hill Park would be your best bet. The park also serves as the foundation for NYC Parks’ forest restoration team, which supports invasive species removal, native species planting, and soil erosion prevention.
Muscota Marsh
Muscota Marsh sits on an acre of land at the northeast tip of Inwood Hill Park. This small park encompasses a small inlet that acts as a natural habitat for birds, aquatic life, and wild grasses that are native to Manhattan’s shoreline.
Created by Columbia in 2014 after it built the Campbell Sports Center, the park not only brings more green space to the community, but also restores and extends the area’s marshland for Manhattan’s native wildlife.
Sherman Creek Park
Located along Harlem River Driveway is a stretch of shoreline called Sherman Creek Park. Formerly a site known for dumping illegal waste, Sherman Creek Park is now a prime example of a successful restoration effort. The park originally began as a shore cleanup project, but has turned into 15 reclaimed acres of shoreline thanks to the NYRP. The land now includes a lush array of wetlands, native plantings, a freshwater pond, and restored woodlands.
NYRP is also working to combat sea level rise by instituting a living shoreline. This technique introduces native plantings and artificial oysters reefs to ward off waves that wash away sediment, while also nurturing the native wetlands.