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No
part of the Park has so varied or so intricate a landscape as the
Ramble and no part shows off more dramatically the landscape design
skills of Frederick Law Olmsted. The Ramble is a 38-acre "wild
garden" (in Olmsted's words) with rocky outcrops, secluded
glades, and a tumbling stream called "The Gill." The Park's
designers literally sculpted the Ramble out of a wooded hillside. One
of the first parts of the Park to be built, the Ramble is –
except for its bedrock platform – totally artificial. Even the
water running in the Gill is turned on and off with a water tap.
The
pupose of the Ramble was to invite the visitor to stroll (hence the
name) and to discover serendipitously forest gardens rich with
plantings from the Adirondack or Appalachian Mountain ranges.
Meandering paths would lure the urban explorer away from the City and
present opportunities to experience nature, both plant and animal.
Over
time, the Ramble has become the epicenter of birding activity in the
Park; as 230 species of birds have been spotted. It is an ideal
sanctuary, its hundreds of trees, shrubs, and wildflowers
interspersed with glades along the northern border. The Lake wraps
around the Ramble's southern and western borders creating cover and
peninsulas that offer great bird watching.
The
Ramble's open woodland thickets, for example, harbor more than 20
species of warblers that fly in during spring and fall migration, in
April and October, respectively. Given its topography and location on
the Atlantic flyway, (the migration route that birds follow during
the spring and fall) the Ramble has been rated one of the top 15
birdwatching sites in the entire United States.
Visitors
who feel the historical names of Park sites – the Lake, the
Pool, East Meadow, for example – are a bit plain will appreciate
the colorful nicknames of Ramble sites. Christened by birders to clue
in fellow birders, they include: the Oven, Willow Rock, Bank Rock
Bay, the Humming Tombstone (a granite-covered electrical control box
for pathway lights that actually hums), and the Riviera.
The
popularity of the Ramble combined with its intricate landscape
designs of pathways and plantings has made it vulnerable to heavy
use. After thorough study and consultation with environmental groups,
a restoration plan is underway; today's visitor can see signs of its
progress. The goal of the woodlands restoration and management
program is gradually to restore the forest floor and control off-path
trampling and bike riding. To view the restoration in progress, head
toward the stone arch on the western edge of the Ramble. The
fenced-off landscapes have been resoiled and planted with native
plants such as arrowwood viburnam, summersweet, and shrub dogwood.
Educational signs give more information about the program.
Trees
dating from the Ramble's planting now populate this woodland. One of
the most famous – a tupelo – is located in the meadow
directly south of Belvedere Castle. In the fall, its leaves turn a
brilliant ruby red. Some visitors have nicknamed it the "squirrel
house" because of the number of squirrel nests in the canopy;
they are best seen in the winter without the camouflage of leaves. Be
on the lookout for swamp white, red, and pin oaks, and tulip trees.
Also look for the red maple and sophora trees surrounding Azalea Pond.
Although
large wild animals like deer, wolves, and black bear left the Park
long ago, the Ramble does have one panther. Still Hunt, the name of
the bronze sculpture created by Edward Kemeys, crouches – tail
in mid- twitch – on the edge of the Ramble on an outcrop
overlooking the east drive between 76th and 77 th Streets.
In
1982, the Conservancy restored the last remaining rustic shelter in
the Ramble and restored the Point, including complete shoreline
repair and replanting.
In
1985, the Conservancy restored the Gill – the stream running
through the Ramble – including the reconstruction of a rustic bridge.
In
1989, the Conservancy began to develop a comprehensive environmental
plan to manage the Park's three major woodlands: the Hallett Nature
Sanctuary, the Ramble, and the North Woods. |
