Now that the name of Squaw Island has been changed to Unity Island, it would be great to see more people using it in the future. For years the island has been waiting for people to discover it for more than simply a cycling passthrough and fishing outpost.
Actually, the Burmese have found the island to be a wonderful picnic spot for a few years, since it’s really one of the only urban waterfront destinations that offers the natural protection of shady trees along the river. It’s also one of the only places where people can truly interact with the water, in ways other than boating.
Aside from having plenty of open fields to throw a Frisbee or set up a volleyball net, Unity Island also has a pretty expansive pier that juts out into the water. I took a walk out to the pier last evening and for the most part had a truly enjoyable time, as did my dog who took a couple of dips in the water. Other than three fishermen, I came across a Burmese family on bikes, who had stopped to collect some aquatic plants, and appeared to be foraging for crayfish. I also spotted some of the wonderful snails that proliferate abandoned developments in Black Rock.
From the pier, we walked around the perimeter of the park, which sits alongside the Black Rock Lock. Over the last few years, thanks to an array of “No Mowing” signs, the park’s edges has become a thread of bird sanctuaries. There is a trail that can be walked or cycled, which offers keen insight into the charming, secluded oasis. If it was not for some noise from the auto traffic on the nearby Niagara Thruway, I would have to say that it feels as if it’s in the wilderness.
I would love to see more No Mow and Low Mow, Maintained Meadow Areas at Unity Island. This is the perfect place for continued habitat restoration, especially when considering that the land was a former dump. Now that the Seneca Nation has successfully petitioned the name change of the park, after Common Council approved the measure, maybe we can start to look at Unity Island a bit differently altogether. It would be great to see the Seneca Nation have a hand in future environmental stewardship. There was once a marsh and creek that ran through the property, back in the day when the island was called Deyowenoguhdoh (pronounced de-dyo-we-no-guh-do). There are still signs of the creek to this day, and the marsh is pretty spectacular in its own right.
*Team effort: The next time that I pay a visit to the pier at Unity Island, I will bring a garbage bag to pick up the litter left behind by some of the people who fish out there. It appears that the City doesn’t look past the park’s grassline, so it’s up to the community to tend to this parcel of land that juts into the water. Someday, it would be great to see some design treatments and park amenities added to the pier, but at this point that’s probably too much to ask for.