I am the Senior Project Manager at the Natural Areas Conservancy in New York City. The Natural Areas Conservancy (naturalareasnyc.org) is a champion of NYC’s 20,000 acres of forests and wetlands for the benefit and enjoyment of all. Our team of scientists and experts promote nature’s diversity and resilience across the five boroughs, working in close partnership with the City of New York. In 2014 we completed an ecological assessment of 10,000 acres of NYC Parks natural areas. We conducted studies to assess the condition of salt marshes, freshwater wetlands, upland forests, grasslands and shrublands in NYC's 5 boroughs. We collected data on the species composition, community structure, and indicators of stress and health in these natural spaces. In 2016 we are working with CUNY at Brooklyn College and the SRI@JB to use the same assessment protocols in Jamiaca Bay in National Park Service natural areas at Gateway National Recreation Area.