Dr. Eric Sanderson presented the Mannahatta Project, an initiative to reconstruct the ecology of Manhattan Island, the heart of New York City, a few hours before Henry Hudson, the European explorer, arrived there in 1609. Dr. Sanderson explained “the work about the historical ecology of New York is something not only of value to its past but also of great value to its future. The island Manhattan helps us think about the future of New York City over the next 400 years.”
The search to rediscover the ecology of a city is not only a historical exercise; it provides critical information to plan for the future. Dr. Sanderson said, “the more the city [New York] is compatible with its nature the longer the city can last and be a good place for its citizens.”
Dr. Eric W. Sanderson is a Senior Conservation Ecologist at the Wildlife Conservation Society and adjunct faculty member at New York and Columbia Universities. He is the author of two books, Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City (2009), and Terra Nova: The New World After Oil, Cars, and Suburbs (2013).
