"While on my visit to the reservoir on Saturday, May 31st I walked into a transformed reservoir. It's always been hard to get around the reservoir because of things in the way such as rocks and plants. There was one path that we could walk on but it wasn't very long and it didn't lead to anything. Project Reservoir established a completely new path that is longer than the original one. The team sent me walking and told me to come back when I reached the big opening that led right into the water. We have never been able to have such easy access to the water. When I came back they said there was no way I reached the opening and returned already. I turned back and continued walking. There was an even bigger opening with a full view of the reservoir. It was absolutely beautiful, over the past 3 years spent at the reservoir I never had such a great view. The maze was clear-cut and nothing was in my way of walking. It was nice to walk through a part of the reservoir we never had access to."
Victoria- former project reservoir student
"The first thing I noticed when walking into the phragmites maze was how much cooler the air felt. It was a beautiful, warm spring day and descending the rocky steps into the maze felt like walking into a cool basement after a day in the sun. The tall reeds rising over my head on both sides reminded me of the hay mazes I used to visit as a child. Walking along the path, I could not hear any of the familiar city sounds. I heard the birds calling out to one another, the crunching of dry reeds as I walked, and the occasional rustling from nearby trees when the wind blew. I passed a small square plot marked off by rope, climbed up and down a small hill leading to the water with a fantastic view, and after choosing a fork in the path I passed a lone twisting tree before entering a semicircle shore. I thought how amazing it was that kids had spent their free time to make this maze. They provided a unique area in the middle of a city that offered escape from the city life. A maze is just plain fun to walk through at any age and I look forward to my future visits!"
Cheers,
Johnny Voong
Cheers,
Johnny Voong
There is a hidden jewel in Jersey City known only to a few as Reservoir # 3. During my visit to the reservoir I was exposed to a number of fantastic experiments. Students were at various sites collecting data and surveying the sites aquaculture. One of the most engaging attractions was the phragmites maze. Phragmites are reeds found in wetlands across temperate and tropical regions. As I walked through the beginning of the maze I observed two students crouched on the ground cutting/stomping the phragmites in order to create a more intricate path. When I questioned the students about the structure of the maze they responded by saying " We are using blue rope to section off the maze, then we will cut the phragmites based on that template." I ventured further into the maze only to discover that it wasn't as straight forward as I had anticipated. There were rocks and trees that looked familiar however, they were part of a different path. The phragmites maze at Reservoir # 3 is an exceptional attraction that only gets better as students begin to share their ideas.
Dr. Carson
Jersey City Science Supervisor K-8
Dr. Carson
Jersey City Science Supervisor K-8