Teresa Mira: Extra Credit: Safari 7

Although I missed the Earth Day event, I still decided to download the Safari 7 podcast to listen to while riding the 7 train. At first I had decided that it would be a great distraction from doing school work and not very productive. As I began to listen to the podcast and think about our class I was really happy that I had done this.
It was so interesting to hear about how the city has evolved since almost the beginning of time. It started off talking about the wildlife that once lived on Manhattan island and continued as the train went though Manhattan and into Queens. It also talked about the building of the tunnel and how the rubble and leftovers that they dug out were used to make an island, which is an amazing way to conserve and reuse materials in a healthier way for the environment. Then when we got to Vernon Boulevard Jackson Avenue the podcast talked about the fish in the East River, its water and how the name of the river isn't accurate. Then it talked about the oysters in the river and the attempts to restore their population. Live animal slaughter houses were then discussed in the podcast. I thought that the idea of picking the animal you are about to eat is a bit bizarre. I certainly would like to keep the image of the animal and the meat I'm eating separate. The podcast continues talking about the water in the East River and the chemicals that enter it. Squirrels and Monarch Butterflies are also discussed as you ride from Queensboro Plaza to 33st. Various plants and weeds are talked about as well as you ride near 33st. When I got to 40St I was surprised to hear about the orchard with Peach and Apple trees. I never thought of New York having trees like these, I always thought of them as being in rural and maybe suburban areas. The idea of Urban agriculture sounds like a good one to help the environment. I was of course very excited to hear about the dogs around 40St. I'm a huge dog lover and I wish I could own one in the city. It was really interesting to hear the different common populations in each neighborhood in the city. As I continued to listen and ride the 7 it continued to talk about more wildlife and plants. I thought the clip from the 1939 World's Fair was very cool as we reached Willets Pt/ Shea Stadium. I also thought it was so odd to be on a subway here because I am so used to passing by the stadium on the LIRR. As she described her seeing the Worlds Fair and its grandness I tried to image what it would have been like to have seen it.
Listening to Safari 7 and riding the 7 train was surprisingly fun and actually productive despite my efforts to procrastinate work. I was very happy that I decided to do this project and listen to the podcast. It would be really very interesting if they decide to try to make podcasts like this one for other subway lines and even try to make more people aware of it. It is a very interesting and important project I think more people should be aware of.