Staten Island, a New York City borough, shares a border to Richmond County. It is located in New York State. It is located in the southwest corner. It is separated by New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and Kill Van Kull, and the rest of New York City via New York Bay. Staten Island, with a population of 495 747, according to the 2020 Census is the least populous borough. However, it has the third-largest land area at 58.5 sq mi (152 km2).
The Lenape people call the island home. It was colonized by Dutch colonists in the 17th Century. It was one of the 12 original New York counties. Staten Island was merged into New York City in 1898. It was originally called the Borough of Richmond until 1975 when it became Borough Borough of Staten Island. Staten Island is sometimes called “the forgotten borough” by residents who feel neglected or excluded by the city government.
History
Staten Island, an island and borough located in New York City, New York State (U.S.), is known as. It lies south of Manhattan in New York Harbor and is between New Jersey (New Jersey), and Brooklyn. It is composed of several smaller islands and forms Richmond County. It is approximately triangular in shape and has 35 miles (56 km) of shoreline. It covers an area of approximately 60 square miles (155km). It connects to Manhattan via Staten Island Ferry, which transports cars and passengers. New Jersey is connected via several bridges. Brooklyn can be reached via the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. It was significantly developed after 1964’s opening.
In 1630, the Dutch tried to colonize Europe. The Delaware tribe’s Unami Indians occupied the land at first. Indian attacks drove out permanent settlers, until 1661 when the Dutch West India Company granted land for French Waldenses. The Dutch Republic called the island the Staten-Generaal (“States General”), after which it was known as. English and Welsh farmers built farms and homes thereafter the 1664 acquisition by Great Britain of New Netherland.
In Tottenville, the Conference House (or Billopp) was the place where talks took place between representatives of the Continental Congress (September 11, 1776) and British representatives as part of an unsuccessful attempt to reconcile during the American Revolution. In 1898, Staten Island was renamed Richmond to make it one of New York City’s boroughs. The borough was renamed Staten Island in 1975.
Staten Island is predominantly residential but there are also some manufacturing jobs. Important work includes trade and services. Wagner College is located here. It was founded in Rochester in 1883 and moved to New York in 1918. Nearby is the Staten Island Institute of Arts and Sciences and Jacques Marchais Centre of Tibetan Art. Richmondtown, Staten Island Botanical Garden, and Staten Island Zoo are all worth a visit. Another place worth visiting is the High Rock Park Nature Conservation Center. Fresh Kills is New York’s largest trash disposal facility. It is located on Staten Island. The Green Belt is also located here, which is the city’s largest park.
Greenbelt Nature Center
The Greenbelt Nature Center, located at 700 Rockland Avenue, near Brielle Avenue, is centrally located and offers a variety of Greenbelt programs and activities. Enjoy our new “Flexipave” walkways, made of recycled materials and made possible by funding from the Richmond County Savings Foundation. You can view the Richmond County Savings Foundation exhibits to learn more about Greenbelt geography, history, flora, fauna, and current events.
“Into the Outdoors” includes a variety of programs, including author lectures, performances, art workshops, and hikes throughout the calendar year. Peepers, Tree Tots, and Mini Camp are programs for our youngest naturalists. “Nature of Art” workshops are available for adults, teens, and seniors. The Nature Center also offers environmental education classes. Many accessible programs are offered by the Center, which is ADA-compliant. For a complete list of events, click here. Please feel free to contact our staff at (718) 351-3450 or email naturecenter@sigreenbelt.org for inquiries.
Since 2004, the Nature Center and its Richmond County Savings Foundation exhibits have brought more than 100 thousand people to the Greenbelt. It is in harmony with the natural environment and provides views from all angles of Greenbelt forests. To discover the Greenbelt, enter through an iron gate decorated with a tree motif.
One of New York’s most biodiverse places in the Greenbelt. There are many amphibians in the Greenbelt, including the American bullfrog and the green frog. Reptiles include the eastern garter snake, the eastern box turtle, and the northern water snake. The common snapping turtle is New York’s state reptile. Here are occasional reports of the eastern milksnakes and northern “black” racer. Due to habitat loss due to development, both species are endangered elsewhere on Staten Island. The Greenbelt is a year-round home to native mammals such as the gray squirrel, eastern chipmunk, and eastern cottontail. The permanent bird residents are blue jays, northern cardinals, black-capped chickadee, and downy woodpecker. Northern flickers and other migrants use Greenbelt to stop their seasonal migration routes. The Greenbelt is home to raptors like Cooper’s Hawks, redtail hawks, and great-horned owls. There are many fish species in the waterways, including largemouth bass, bluegills, redtail hawks, brown bullheads, black crappie, yellow perch, and many darter species.
The Center’s grounds make it easy to access hiking trails like the Nature Center loop trail and the Blue or White trails. Greenbelt educators can use the “E trail,” a short extension of the Nature Center trail, to reach their destination.
The building’s green features include large overhangs that keep it cool in summer, a bin for compost, a rain barrel to harvest rainwater for flowering annuals, and native species landscaping. These require little or no extra watering.
If you are ever in the area, be sure to visit Greenbelt Nature Center. It is a beautiful place with plenty of activities to keep you busy. You may even see some wildlife while you’re there! The Nature Center can be rented for family events or corporate meetings. Contact their Rental Coordinator at (718 667-2165, Ext. 323 or by email to make arrangements or visit the Nature Center to discuss rental options.
