April 22 - New book on New York City parks

Forty-five yeas ago when I was a new (and much younger) birder, one of my favorite books about nature in New York City was Elizabeth Barlow's The Forest and Wetlands of New York City. It has remained a favorite and though it has been long out of print I have recommended it many times over the years. It is the first book on my page of references to local natural history books posted on the side of this blog. So it was a great pleasure to meet Betsy Barlow Rogers a few years ago. She has now written a new book, a sort of successor to that earlier wonderful book. It is Green Metropolis: The Extraordinary Landscapes of New York City as Nature, History, and Design and was published by Alfred A. Knopf earlier this week.

After a brief overview of natural areas around New York City it has chapters about Staten Island, Jamaica Bay, Inwood Hill Park, the Ramble in Central Park, Roosevelt Island, Freshkills Park and the High Line. I think you will enjoy. And I do not say that just because my AMNH Central Park bird walks are featured in the chapter on the Ramble!