Introducing our Pond:

Inaugurated in 1996, The Enchanted Garden has become a huge part of our school. From the beautiful rose garden to the pond, the garden has opened up a New World for us. In it, we can share our thoughts and realize the beauty of nature. The most popular part of the Enchanted Garden is surely the pond. This web page will emphasize for you the many special characteristics of this section of the garden.

Construction of our Pond:

The pond was constructed during the summer of 1998 with the help of a determined and dedicated crew. This group consisted of Evagelia Bakoulis, Jose Jimenez, Dominque Guadelupe, Sara Kempton, and Luis Lopez. This project took a total of six weeks to complete. First of all, the crew dug four feet down with their shovels to remove a swamp willow tree. Then, they placed a layer of sand and used old carpet material. They also made a grid of aeration pipes which would remove oxygen that could build up underneath the pond, thus creating a huge bubble that could form under the liner. They then put down a black flexible plastic liner called ethylene propylene diene monomer and then over that, laid down a layer of capstones. They then cemented them along the rim of the pond to hold down the liner. Finally, after a grueling month of work, the water was put in, and different aquatic plants and fish were placed in the pond.

the Hudson River near Kennedy High School

Spuyten Duyvil Creek

Tibbett Brook, around 1900, when it used to flow into Spuyten Duyvil Creek. Our garden is located on the lower right hand corner of the photo, where you can see there was a body of water.

photos from Riverdale, Kingsbridge, and Spuyten Duyvil by Reverend Tieck, 1968

History of this Valley:

So, do you think the thought of a pond peculiar to this place? Not so! Not far from us is Spuyten Duyvil Creek. This is where the water from our pond and wetlands ultimately flows. This body of water, which connects the Hudson and Harlem Rivers, flows right behind Kennedy High School.

The name Spuyten Duyvil has an interesting story to its origin. Once, long ago, there was a bride and groom who were soon to be married. At the wedding, a male stranger started flirting with the bride. The groom got jealous and challenged the man to swim through the river to Manhattan, which was on the other side. The river had a reputation for unpredictable currents and flow. The man accepted the challenge, and said that he could across it, "In spite of the Devil" (in Dutch: Spuyten Duyvil). He wasn't able to swim all the way, and drowned. From that day on, the people started calling the river Spuyten Duyvil Creek.

Spuyten Duyvil Creek is still around, but Tibbett Brook, which used to flow into this body of water near where our garden is located, is gone. The creek was filled in around 1900, and the valley in which the school and garden is located, is now streamless. Tibbett Brook now travels to the Harlem River in a buried pipe half a mile to the east. But, a patch of wetlands remains, and with the creation of the pond, we honor in our own little way, what used to be here.

Wildlife:

The pond is well kown for its unceasing beauty, but what were the real reasons behind the development of the pond? One of the main reasons why the pond was constructed was because such a habitat can sustain wildlife, both aquatic (such as comets and tadpoles), amphibians like snakes, and birds (such as cat birds, sparrows, starlings, and cardinals). The pond also attracts terrestial animals such as skunks, rats, raccoons, and squirrels.

Various types of plants and animals currently inhabit the pond and its surrounding areas. These plants and animals live here because the pond has environmental factors, which no other place in the garden can provide. First, let's talk about what resides in the pond. There are several comets, which are a type of goldfish. Our pond also contains a recent addition: jewel fish. This fish is small, and has a silverish color to it. Along the sides of the pond, or among the lily pads, one can actually see some frogs as well.

Water lettuce in the pond can grow very rapidly, and can overtake the pond, if not taken care of properly. At the far end of the pond, is a plant called papyrus. The Egyptians are well known for using this plant to make paper. Plants around the pond include Jack-in-the Pulpit, Wild Geraniums, Hosta, Milkweeds, Hydrangeas, Forget-me-nots, Lobelia, Sweet Woodruff, mottled Alumroot, dwarf winterberry, white berried ink berry Holly, and a Japanese Maple.

Simeon Kazmetski with a garter snake

Comets

wild geranium

Some plant descriptions:

Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisamea triphyllum): this plant belongs to the Arum family and can be grown in swamps, bogs, and near ponds. The plant can also trap insects, and has many chemical defenses against enemies

Dog Bane (Asclepias incarnata): this plant belongs to the milkweed family. This is also an insect trapping plant and can grow around swamps, bogs, and ponds.

Wild Geraniums (Gernanium maculatum): this plant belongs to the Geranium family. It has five-parted hairy leaves and five rose-purple petals on a long stylar beak distinguishing this flower.

Q & A - Let Omer provide the answers!:

Q: What happens to the fish and frogs over the winter?

A: In the winter, the ice develops over the surface of the pond, and pond's temperature becomes very cold. To use less energy, the fish and frogs go into semi-hibernation in a deep area of the mud until the winter is over.

Q: What is the quality of the water in the pond?

A: Our water comes from both rain water that falls on the surrounding parking lots and streets, and the water hydrant. The street water travels thorugh the wetlands carrying soap, car wax, chlorine, oil, salt, and gum wrappers. The wetlands acts a filter and purifies the water, before it can go into the pond. KISS students at Kennedy frequently come down to the garden to conduct tests on this water to examine pH levels and the presence of certain chemicals.

Q: Do you use a water pump for the pond?

A: No, we don't use a water pump. It is not needed, becuase the animals in the pond have done fine without it. They have demonstrated that they can live with limited oxygen in the water. Furthermore, there is no source of electricity in the garden to power the pump.

Q: Do you plan on putting more fish into the pond?

A: Presently, we have a few creatues in the pond. As times goes on, we will start modifying the pond, and will put bigger and more complex creatures in the pond.