Harlem Meer
In
1993 the Central Park Conservancy along with the City of New York reconstructed
the Meer as a major renewal project. What you see here is very much how
the Meer looked in the 1860's. Meer is a Dutch word that means “small
sea” and this “Meer” is an 11 acre span of water. The Meer
changes magically from season to season as nature delicately paints the
Meer with the wondrous colors of each season. Imagine what this scene
would look like with a thick blanket of snow!
The
Meer was stocked in 1993 with 50,000 fish, including largemouth bass,
channel catfish, bluegill sunfish, pumpkinseed sunfish, and golden shiners.
In 1995, grass carp were added because they eat the algae that can sometimes
cloud the water during the warm weather. More than 10,000 visitors to
the Meer each year participate in the “catch-and release” fishing
program sponsored by the Conservancy.
On
the sandy beach of the Meer are “Mute Swans” that were brought
from Europe to America in the 20th century to add a decorative touch to
the ponds of private estates. The swans are now quite common throughout
New York State.
The
original landscape designers artfully placed the trees to screen out the
city and form a picturesque frame for the Meer. The Conservancy staff
provides special care and attention to the trees so that they are expertly
pruned, fertilized, and watered.
A
plague near the landing at the Meer honors journalist Cissy Patterson,
one of the funding partners of the MeerŐs reconstruction, and contains
an illustration of how the opposite shore may have appeared in 1814.
Thanks to the Central Park Conservancy for sharing the above information.