Charleston, South Carolina – People who live and work in the Westside Neighborhood are concerned about a location along Gadsden Creek, claiming the city has harmed the ecosystem.
The City of Charleston informed News 2 that they were undertaking routine maintenance on a portion of Harmon Field. However, neighbors noticed on Thursday afternoon that the formerly lush greenery had been mowed away.
“Without any public comment or regard for the ecology or people, to just come in and within a couple of hours destroy a whole community,” Austin Fitzhenry, a Westside resident, said. “This is the only green space that’s in my neighborhood.”
Fitzhenry stated that the region was previously home to natural flora and animals, but he is now concerned about other green spots on the peninsula because the ecosystem has changed.
“This extensive vegetative barrier that once existed between the park and the road provided both protection and beauty. Because of the traffic, children and animals would be unlikely to cross the road, and it was also a magnificent green barrier that kept traffic noise from intruding into the recreational space,” Fitzhenry explained.
The area once had species like spartina grass and sea ox eye daisy, but they were taken down. Residents informed News 2 that it was not just an important habitat, but also a location where educators frequently teach their students about ecology.
“We’re about to look at the vegetation here and talk about its historical uses, and it’s gone,” Amanda Mushal, associate professor of history at The Citadel, explained. “I’m just standing in the middle of a lecture, stating it’s no longer here. We had just had a class at 8 a.m.
The professor expressed concern about how the city intends to avoid floods and how she plans to teach her labs in the future.
“I don’t know how I’m going to do it from now on. “It will be very different,” Mushal remarked.
We contacted the city, and they provided us a statement.
“The City of Charleston performs normal maintenance at Harmon Field every two years to reduce growth that obstructs view for recreational users and automobiles. The native plants that were pruned back were not injured and will recover as they do after each maintenance mowing.”
Fitzhenry believes that moving ahead, the city would conserve green places and native vegetation. He has also set up a social media page to raise awareness about what he claims is a years-long problem.
