The Pond and Hallett Nature Sanctuary, Central Park
Encyclopedia
The Pond and Hallett Nature Sanctuary occupy the low-lying southeast corner of New York City
's Central Park
, opposite the Plaza Hotel
and just feet from Fifth Avenue. The Pond is one of seven natural-seeming bodies of water in the Park.
Hallett Nature Sanctuary, the only permanently fenced-off section of Central Park aside from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir
, occupies 3.5 acres (14,164 m²) of the wooded promontory that juts into The Pond. The area had been set apart by Robert Moses
as a bird sanctuary in 1934, but decades of neglect were repaired in the 1980s; invasive alien plants like ailanthus
and Far Eastern wisteria
s were extirpated, and the equally invasive though native Black Cherry
was thinned, the woodland was enriched with native shrubs, and the reserve was renamed the Hallett Nature Sanctuary in 1986, in honor of George Hervey Hallett, Jr (1895—1985), an ardent birdwatcher and naturalist and executive secretary of the Citizens Union
.
The Central Park Conservancy routinely offers half-hour tours, avoiding nesting season and the height of migratory season, for Central Park is a stopover on the Atlantic Flyway
. The perimeter affords one of the prime bird watching areas of the Park. Dead falls remain where they lie, to provide for insects that feed birds, until in 2002, after an Asian longhorn beetle was found there, that experiment in letting nature take its course, hopefully towards a climax forest, ended. Another unexpected visitor in the Sanctuary, briefly, in March 2006, was Hal the Central Park Coyote, who received his nickname from the Hallett Sanctuary.
The simple fieldstone arch of Gapstow Bridge was built in 1896 to replace the original more ambitious but less rustic structure designed by Jacob Wrey Mould
. As originally laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted
and Calvert Vaux
, the Pond was considerably larger. A large piece of its upper reaches, beyond Gapstow Bridge
, once spanning a narrow neck of water, was paved over to form the Wollman Memorial Skating Rink
, opened in 1949.
The Central Park Conservancy completed a reconstruction of the Pond in 2001, which included new shoreline and perimeter plantings, an island habitat for birds and turtles, and beyond Gapstow Bridge, a series of small pools and cascades.
Nearby, on stone plinths, bronze busts commemorate the poet Thomas Moore
and the composer Victor Herbert
(by Edmond Thomas Quinn
).
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
, opposite the Plaza Hotel
Plaza Hotel
The Plaza Hotel in New York City is a landmark 20-story luxury hotel with a height of and length of that occupies the west side of Grand Army Plaza, from which it derives its name, and extends along Central Park South in Manhattan. Fifth Avenue extends along the east side of Grand Army Plaza...
and just feet from Fifth Avenue. The Pond is one of seven natural-seeming bodies of water in the Park.
Hallett Nature Sanctuary, the only permanently fenced-off section of Central Park aside from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir
The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir — originally and sometimes still known as the Central Park Reservoir — is a decommissioned reservoir in Central Park in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, USA.-Description:...
, occupies 3.5 acres (14,164 m²) of the wooded promontory that juts into The Pond. The area had been set apart by Robert Moses
Robert Moses
Robert Moses was the "master builder" of mid-20th century New York City, Long Island, Rockland County, and Westchester County, New York. As the shaper of a modern city, he is sometimes compared to Baron Haussmann of Second Empire Paris, and is one of the most polarizing figures in the history of...
as a bird sanctuary in 1934, but decades of neglect were repaired in the 1980s; invasive alien plants like ailanthus
Ailanthus
Ailanthus is a genus of trees belonging to the family Simaroubaceae, in the order Sapindales . The genus is native from east Asia south to northern Australasia....
and Far Eastern wisteria
Wisteria
Wisteria is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family, Fabaceae, that includes ten species of woody climbing vines native to the eastern United States and to China, Korea, and Japan. Aquarists refer to the species Hygrophila difformis, in the family Acanthaceae, as Water Wisteria...
s were extirpated, and the equally invasive though native Black Cherry
Black Cherry
Prunus serotina, commonly called black cherry, wild black cherry, rum cherry, or mountain black cherry, is a woody plant species belonging to the genus Prunus...
was thinned, the woodland was enriched with native shrubs, and the reserve was renamed the Hallett Nature Sanctuary in 1986, in honor of George Hervey Hallett, Jr (1895—1985), an ardent birdwatcher and naturalist and executive secretary of the Citizens Union
Citizens Union
Citizens Union is one of the United States' first good government groups. Founded in 1897 as a political party, the group was reconstituted in 1908 as a non-partisan member organization with the broad mission of serving "as a watchdog for the public interest and an advocate for the common...
.
The Central Park Conservancy routinely offers half-hour tours, avoiding nesting season and the height of migratory season, for Central Park is a stopover on the Atlantic Flyway
Atlantic Flyway
The Atlantic Flyway is a bird migration route that generally follows the Atlantic Coast of North America and the Appalachian Mountains. The main endpoints of the flyway include the Canadian Maritimes and the region surrounding the Gulf of Mexico; the migration route tends to narrow considerably in...
. The perimeter affords one of the prime bird watching areas of the Park. Dead falls remain where they lie, to provide for insects that feed birds, until in 2002, after an Asian longhorn beetle was found there, that experiment in letting nature take its course, hopefully towards a climax forest, ended. Another unexpected visitor in the Sanctuary, briefly, in March 2006, was Hal the Central Park Coyote, who received his nickname from the Hallett Sanctuary.
The simple fieldstone arch of Gapstow Bridge was built in 1896 to replace the original more ambitious but less rustic structure designed by Jacob Wrey Mould
Jacob Wrey Mould
Jacob Wrey Mould was an architect, illustrator, linguist and musician, noted for his contributions to the design and construction of New York City's Central Park...
. As originally laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted was an American journalist, social critic, public administrator, and landscape designer. He is popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture, although many scholars have bestowed that title upon Andrew Jackson Downing...
and Calvert Vaux
Calvert Vaux
Calvert Vaux , was an architect and landscape designer. He is best remembered as the co-designer , of New York's Central Park....
, the Pond was considerably larger. A large piece of its upper reaches, beyond Gapstow Bridge
Gapstow Bridge
Gapstow Bridge is one of the icons of Central Park, Manhattan in New York City. The first bridge was designed by Jacob Wrey Mould in 1874 The bridge was a wooden bridge with iron railings. It was replaced by the present simple stone structure in 1896. The stone span curves over the narrow neck of...
, once spanning a narrow neck of water, was paved over to form the Wollman Memorial Skating Rink
Wollman Rink
Wollman Skating Rink is a public ice rink in the southern part of Central Park, Manhattan, New York City. The rink was opened in 1949 with funds donated by Kate Wollman who donated $600,000 for the rink to commemorate her entire family from Leavenworth, Kansas)...
, opened in 1949.
The Central Park Conservancy completed a reconstruction of the Pond in 2001, which included new shoreline and perimeter plantings, an island habitat for birds and turtles, and beyond Gapstow Bridge, a series of small pools and cascades.
Nearby, on stone plinths, bronze busts commemorate the poet Thomas Moore
Thomas Moore
Thomas Moore was an Irish poet, singer, songwriter, and entertainer, now best remembered for the lyrics of The Minstrel Boy and The Last Rose of Summer. He was responsible, with John Murray, for burning Lord Byron's memoirs after his death...
and the composer Victor Herbert
Victor Herbert
Victor August Herbert was an Irish-born, German-raised American composer, cellist and conductor. Although Herbert enjoyed important careers as a cello soloist and conductor, he is best known for composing many successful operettas that premiered on Broadway from the 1890s to World War I...
(by Edmond Thomas Quinn
Edmond Thomas Quinn
Edmond Thomas Quinn was an American sculptor and painter. He is best known for his bronze of Edwin Booth as Hamlet, which stands at the center of Gramercy Park in New York City...
).