April 22-November 29
10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Before New York, there was nature. After New York, there will also be nature. Nature was, is, and forever will be a co-creator of the city we call home. The more closely we align our lives with the ways in which nature operates, the longer our city will endure and the richer and more profound our lives will become.
To see the nature of the place we now call the City of New York, ecologist Dr. Eric W. Sanderson and colleagues have spent more than 25 years reconstructing lives of the inhabitants of this remarkably rich and diverse coastal landscape as it existed on September 12, 1609, on the eve of a visit by the English navigator in Dutch employ, Henry Hudson. We call the landscape that became New York City Welikia, a borrowed word from the Munsee-Lenape language that means “my good home.”
Welikia was exceptionally productive and diverse, providing home to thousands of species and to the Indigenous Lenape people for 8,000 to 10,000 years before Hudson arrived. Enter to see the city like you’ve never seen it before, learn about the origins of place, and to appreciate the ways in which we have, do, and can shape our good home.
Ross Gallery
See historical panoramic images rendered using scientific data tailored to each borough, displaying landmark features, plants, and the landscape as it looked 400 years ago. Present-day photos of the spaces add context to how drastically NYC nature has changed, while an interactive topographic model shows ancient geography in comparison with the modern street grid.
On select dates, join Urban Conservation staff for special events highlighting the beauty of New York City’s ecological history.
Events include:
Don’t miss Before New York at these locations around New York City, with dates and additional partners to be announced!
How did New York City’s landscapes, waterways, and biodiversity look before modern urban development, and how can understanding this history transform how we teach about nature today? The Welikia Project aims to illuminate the rich ecological history that underwrites the development of NYC, drawing awareness to how drastically our own neighborhoods have changed over time, and suggesting possible alternative futures. It roots us in place, helps us understand the place we live in, and fosters the long view.