Inwood Hill Park Nature Center EarthCache
Inwood Hill Park Nature Center
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Waypoint 1 of 10 on Going Coastal’s NY-NJ Harbor Estuary EarthCache Discovery Trail in Inwood Hill Park, caches developed by Going Coastal, Inc. (www.goingcoastal.org) as a special project in affiliation with Groundspeak and support from the NY-NJ Harbor Estuary Program and the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission.
The NY-NJ Harbor Estuary Earthcache Discovery Trail is meant to help visitors develop a better understanding of the Estuary, make connections between earth and environmental science, and foster stewardship.
The EarthCache is the Inwood Hill Park Nature Center, the best place to get the lay of the land. Here you will see the big picture - pieces of geology, ecology and cultural history that make up the complete story of Inwood Hill Park’s landscape.
A long history of geological events from the Proterozoic eon when life began on Earth to the last Pleistocene epoch of ice ages is preserved in the rock formations in the landscape of Inwood Hill Park. The rocks you see and touch are the solid materials that form the surface of the Earth, both on land and at the bottom of oceans.
The Nature Center was originally built as a boathouse in 1937 on the Harlem River Ship Canal. The hydrology of the watercourse differs from when Henry Hudson visited. Upper Manhattan and the Bronx were seperated by only a shallow tidal strait called Spuyten Duyvil Creek until the end of the 19th century. Spuyten Duyvil Creek was rechristened the Harlem River Ship Canal after the Army Corps of Engineers rerouted the creek to provide a more direct connection between the Hudson and East Rivers, cutting 14 miles off the route to Long Island Sound.
When the Harlem Ship Canal was completed in 1895, the neighborhood of Marble Hill was severed from Manhattan, creating an island with winding Spuyten Duyvil Creek as its northern boundary. Spuyten Duyvil Creek was filled in by 1916 connecting Marble Hill to the Bronx. Residents of Marble Hill retained the Manhattan postal address, while they reside in the Bronx. The curves of Spuyten Duyvil Creek are evident in the New York County border, which extends around Marble Hill.
The Nature Center and the park’s numerous habitats provide close up observation of the local geology and ecology. It is also a place to explore the long history of the Native American inhabitants. (visit link)
Inwood Hill Park consists of two great ridges, rising as high as 220 feet, with a deep ravine in between and lowlands beside the Hudson River and Spuyten Duyvil Creek. The Clove follows the ravine. There are many landforms to explore, from lagoons and salt marshes to hills and rocky outcroppings that provide clues to the geologic record and even now are being changed by dynamic forces that are constantly at work. (visit link)
Inwood Hill Nature Center is operated by the Urban Park Rangers, open Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The center serves as starting point for walking tours and workshop sites for educational programs, recreational activities and environmental studies for schools, youth groups and the whole family. There are exhibits highlighting the diversity of the landscape.
Logging Tasks:
1. Step outside the Nature Center onto the landing overlooking the lagoon. Use your GPS unit to mark the spot. What are the coordinates.Why is it important to know your location? Where you are?
2. Name two geological processes that are visible in the environment today.
3. Water is an important natural resource. The Harlem Ship Canal/Spuyten Duyvil Creek is used for navigation. Can you name two other uses of the waterways?
To log a find on this earthcache, email the cache owner (DO NOT POST IN YOUR LOG). Use your GPS device to locate the next cache - GC2RQ4P (visit link)
The NY-NJ Harbor Estuary Earthcache Discovery Trail is meant to help visitors develop a better understanding of the Estuary, build environmental knowledge and foster stewardship. Remember, to upload a photo and let us know in your log ways we can improve the trail.
Data Sources:
• Harbor Estuary Program - (visit link)
• NYC Department of Parks and Recreation - (visit link)
• Urban Park Rangers Natural Classroom - (visit link)
• USGS Tapestry of Time and Terrain - (visit link)
Data Collected: September 26 – March 11, 2011
Name and Type of Land
Inwood Hill Park
W 218 Street & Seaman Avenue, Manhattan
Phone: (212) 304-2365
www.nycgovparks.org
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