NYC Parks' Wildlife Unit

The Study Site

Found on the western shore of Staten Island in New York City, Freshkills Park is located at the site of the former Fresh Kills Landfill, which ceased operation in 2001. The park is currently being transformed into a sustainable environment with geographic features such as wetlands, grasslands, woodlands, marshes, and creeks. Freshkills Park will be approximately three times the size of Central Park upon completion, making it the largest park to be developed in New York City in the last 100 years. Currently, only the perimeter of the park is open and available for public access. Game cameras were placed within the areas closed to the public.

The Purpose

Knowing the presence or absence of species within Freshkills Park will allow NYC Parks to proactively develop management strategies and educational tools geared specifically for Staten Island. Having data from before and after the park is open to the public will provide a unique study opportunity to learn more about urban wildlife behavior, help educate the public, and inform wildlife management citywide. Over the course of a few months, our cameras captured thousands of images that we need YOUR help classifying into meaningful data.

The Study Timeline

In 2018, game cameras were deployed in closed sections of Freshkills Park in three separate phases. In addition to factors such as food availability, suitable habitat, and human activity, the presence of wildlife in a given environment can be influenced by changing seasons.

• Phase 1: Spring surveillance
• Phase 2: Summer surveillance
• Phase 3: Fall surveillance

Photos to be sorted are from Phase 3