Planting the Erie Canal

Childhood nostalgia - the Erie Canal, the trail, a wonderland full of baby carrots, cherries, apples, grapes - maybe I should have left my memories of the Erie Canal Trail at that. That wonderful dreamworld panacea of a massive walkway arboretum that only existed in my fantasies. I had had no idea that my memory was that distorted.

After spending a few weeks walking around the Erie Canal trail, planting vegetables, flowers, and replanting the few cherries I could harvest, I say that the place is not yet ready for a Public Television special, or an influx of tourists. I lot of work could still be done prior to doing a massive marketing program for bringing in more summer tourists to the area, especially Eco-tourists.

The water is a muddy brown, the ducks are few and far between, the Canadian geese hang out on the sidewalks, invasive foliage has taken over the perimeter, there are no bathroom facilities in most places, there are very few public docks, there are no boat rental places, there are no ice cream pushcarts or vending machines. This is a recreational facility for people who are doing a quick walk or jog, the fishing does not look very appetizing, most people are not going to be wanting to spend a lot of time here, and will move on to Niagara Falls or Onondaga State Park.

These were the sorts of things that I was thinking during the week and a half of intermittent rain that was ideal weather for planting vegetables and fruit designated to be replanted by wildlife. I decided that the critters could help me out with the farming, after all, they were the immediate designated recipients. People are complaining about the disappearance of the honeybees, the birds, well, I figured that by planting a few hundred acres in a haphazard fashion, I could encourage the birds to feed themselves. After all, if you teach a man to fish, he knows how to fish, if birds are more evolved than fish, who knows what the birds can accomplish?

Maybe some of the plants will be replanted over on Goat Island, and become gigantic due to the hydroponic nature of the immediate biome being the Niagara Falls. Maybe other plants will find their way to Canada, when the Canadian geese fly back up north for the summer. Possibly others will find their way southward, to Pennsylvania, Virginia, and points south, when the fall happens, and the birds fly south for the winter.

Raccoons, squirrels, and chipmunks are also good helpers at creating gardens built in an asymmetrical fashion, where plants are all piled up in less than geometric arrangements. It takes human hands to create a beautiful garden that tourists appreciate. Some of those plants planted over the past few weeks might re-seed themselves, to create opportunities for park workers to create more plants at less expense throughout other local parks, including parks that have a clear water supply.

New York State ran out of money during the Great Depression to do the finishing touches on the Erie Canal, as well as the Erie Canal trail. There is a Department of Parks in New York State, as well as a Department of Environmental Conservation, that will be more than willing to provide more information regarding the Erie Canal Trail, as well as provide an opportunity for volunteer or paid work for interested parties.