Nature photographer Steve Nanz presents his work on wildlife in the Ridgewood Reservoir. — Photo by Diego Cupolo

There are yellow-billed cuckoos, black-cap chickadees and ferocious snapping turtles living right in our backyard and local environmentalists credit the Ridgewood Reservoir for the area’s unusually diverse ecology. To prove the point, the Highland Park/Ridgewood Reservoir Alliance invited wildlife photographer Steve Nanz to share his pictures of the many species that have settle down in this accidental, but endangered nature reserve.

Since 2007, Nanz has been visiting the reservoir to capture images of its wildlife through his lens, creating a record of local biodiversity, and he presented his work last night at the Ridgewood Democratic Club. A crowd of concerned residents, HPRRA members and local boy scouts listened as Nanz gave detailed descriptions of the various birds, insects, reptiles and fungus species that are threatened by development plans that would turn the wild area into ballparks.

“The Parks Department wanted to spend $50 million to raze the forest and build baseball fields on top of the reservoir, but would not consider spending far less money to improve the neglected ballparks in the adjacent Highland Park,” said Rob Jett, chair of the conservation for the HPRRA. “Now the project budget has been cut to $19 million and they still want to move forward with their plans.”

Though it might be hard to believe, the Ridgewood Reservoir is 50-acre plot of wetlands, meadows and forest on the Brooklyn-Queens border that serves as a one of the few migratory rest stops for birds flying over New York — making it an excellent destination for birdwatchers. Jett estimates that 147 kinds of birds use the green oasis throughout the year and has been fighting to preserve the land.

“Local residents have voted against the development of the reservoir, but the city won’t listen,” Jett said. “If Bloomberg really wanted to be a ‘green mayor’ he would step in and preserve the few natural habitats we have. There’s no other place like it in the city.”

Entrances to the reservoir’s interior trails were closed last month, said Tom Dowd, Queens Community Board 5 member and HPRRA member. He felt this was a shame because nearly 10,000 students attend schools within walking distance of the reservoir and will no longer be able to perform outdoor science experiments on its grounds.

“I won’t second guess the Parks Department, but they seem hell-bent on destroying that environment,” Dowd said when asked why the trails were closed.