Central Park is famous around the world. Although its cultural history is well documented, our knowledge of the flora — supported by scientific studies — has lagged behind. Seeking to build a permanent record of the flora and how it has changed through time, Regina Alvarez and Daniel Atha are collecting herbarium specimens of every species growing wild in the park. Already they have discovered new botanical records for the park and have rediscovered plants not seen there since the 1850s. Alvarez, former director of horticulture and woodland manager for the Central Park Conservancy, is currently an adjunct professor of botany at the City University of New York. Atha is a research associate and associate editor of the systematic botany journal, Brittonia, at the New York Botanical Garden.
