On 8/29/2026, Aylus volunteers were having a barbecue in Nissequogue River State Park from 1:00pm to 4:00pm (3 hours).
After the barbecue, a park staff gave everyone a tour of important features of the state park. First, he explained a little about native, invasive, and ornamental plants. As a less known phrase, ornamental plants are plants from other places but don’t really spread out due to multiple factors. The evergreen pine tree, for example, originated from Northern Europe. Because of the hotter summers and shorter winters in New York, it can’t effectively reproduce.
Then, we headed towards a salt marsh, which is a type of coastal wetland filled with grasses that often lines the edges of an estuary. An estuary is where salt water and freshwater meet. However, about 70 percent of salt marshes are destroyed or damaged because of human activities. It is important to protect salt marshes because they serve as a natural barrier against tides and even hurricanes: reefs form underwater with oysters, clams and mussels, just like coral reefs. They also clean the water like coral reefs do.
A vital theme emphasized by the park staff is urban ecology, which is a dynamic community of humans, plants, and animals interacting with physical and built environments like buildings, roads, and parks. The park used to be a hospital campus. However, it was abandoned in the 1900s. Many animals now live in one of the buildings, such as New York pigeons, mourning doves, bats, raccoons, etc. Vines such as a native plant called the Virginia creeper grow on the outside walls of the building. What’s remarkable is that these plants and animals don’t adapt to the city environment. Instead, they live in a similar environment in nature. For instance, New York pigeons, originated in Britain, used to live on cliffs, which are similar to buildings that are rocky and steep. It is amazing how some animals can easily adapt into the city environment.
People can actually learn some very fascinating facts in state parks while enjoying the view and weather.
Members who participated include:
Felicia Liu (3h),
Yingxiang Liu (3h),
Yuya Liu (3h),
Lukang He (3h),
Katherine Li (2.5h)
Reporter: Felicia Liu
