The Muscota Marsh, a project to create new public access and new amenities on the waterfront near Columbia University's Baker Athletics Complex in Inwood and restore and extend the area's native marshland, received a 2012 Design Award from the Public Design Commission of the City of New York. The award is one of only ten projects selected overall for 2012 and one of three projects that received special recognition for "Green Infrastructure".
Building on the site's latent ecology, the project's wetland restoration reintroduces salt marsh and freshwater wetland zones with a diverse palette of native plants. This environment attracts ribbed mussels, leopard frogs, herons, and egrets, which together contribute to a healthy, self-sustaining ecosystem. A domestic wood boardwalk wraps the edge of the wetland, so visitors can experience the sights and sounds of the naturalized river bank.
The winning projects are selected by the Design Commission members from the hundreds of submissions reviewed each year.