DAVE TAFT, PHOTOGRAPHER
Photo ©John Daskalakis
Recent storms and winter flooding have reminded us that nearly half of present-day New York City was once wetlands. But as the city expanded, many of these natural areas were filled in and lost. This month urban naturalist Dave Taft invites us to explore this forgotten side of the city. Within the five boroughs that make up this concrete jungle, towering forests, hidden wetlands, and expansive meadows form a patchwork of natural areas that create a home for orchids, often in surprising places.
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There’s no need to jump on the subway or bus, as Dave has done the legwork for us. Just sit back and enjoy his unique perspective of orchids in the Big Apple. To learn more about orchids, and other rare plants and animals, visit NATURE EXPLORER, a gateway to New York’s biodiversity.
Dave Taft, artist, and orchid enthusiast, is Conservation Chair for the Greater New York Orchid and Long Island Orchid Societies. He has served as the Site Manager of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and is employed by the National Park Service as the Coordinator for the Brooklyn and Queens Units of Gateway National Recreation Area. He frequently photographs or paints from familiar landscapes and objects found near the city’s parks and wild spaces. “There is always something unexpected about nature in New York City.”
