Photographed the beginning of the Central Park Lake before it opens up by the zoo and the bridges on a hot day in August. The 20-acre Lake is the second largest of Central Park's man-made water bodies. (The largest is the Reservoir.) Park designers Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux created the Lake from a former swamp, for boating in the summer and ice-skating in the winter.
The Central Park Conservancy is working on a comprehensive restoration of the Lake and its surrounding landscapes. With the waters edge having slowly crumbled and eroded through the years, the Conservancy set out in 2006 to stabilize its shoreline. The team excavated and removed excess sediments, then reconstructed the shoreline with rustic boulders on a stabilized gravel base.
Using a material called coir logs, the Conservancy reconstructed the shoreline with interwoven coconut fibers and bound together with biodegradable netting. Staked at the base of the slope where the normal water level meets the shoreline, the logs serve to protect the Lake's edge from birds and wave action erosion until plants can become established.
The coir logs are a sustainable solution to the Lakes restoration, and one that's helping preserve the beauty of its lush landscapes and the health of its wildlife habitat. They're also an example of how the Conservancy strives to implement smart, green practices throughout its operations in the Park.
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