Wrapping up Earth Month, Renewing Communal Ties to Jamaica Bay, and Readying for Summer

By Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy

Last week marked the 55th Earth Day, our annual springtime recommitment to protect our environment. The first Earth Day, celebrated at Union Square in 1970, forced the issue of environmental quality and resources conservation into political dialogue, which helped safeguard the cleaner water and air we take for granted today (among many other environmental standards). Jamaica Bay’s history is a microcosm of our relationship to nature—with human-made settlements against vibrant natural landscapes.

It may be hard to imagine that before 1970, anyone could dump tons of toxic waste or debris into Jamaica Bay, and that was perfectly legal. Heavy industry, including facilities for turning dead horses into glue, developed in the 1850s on Barren Island (now home to Floyd Bennett Field). Next came four colossal landfills along the bay that served the city until the 1990s. Jamaica Bay earned the unwelcome moniker, “Garbage Bay.”

Thanks to a concerted effort from community stakeholders, local elected officials, city, state and federal agencies, scientists and engineers, Jamaica Bay is overcoming years of pollution and ecosystem collapse. In 1995, the Jamaica Bay Ecowatchers, headed by Dan Mundy Sr. and Dan Mundy Jr., noticed that the marsh islands in the bay were slowly disappearing, which they hypothesized was due to excess nitrogen and untreated sewage coming from the wastewater treatment plants situated around the bay. Through the Clean Water Act, the Ecowatchers and American Littoral Society, and others, successfully pushed for a study on the bay and marsh loss, which subsequently led to investments to update these sewage plants and cut nitrogen pollution of the bay in half by 2020, protecting the symbiotic relationship between marine life and marsh grasses that keep the wetlands in place.

Since the 1990s, Jamaica Bay has begun to thrive once again, now hosting more than 325 species of resident and migratory birds, 100 fish, 50 butterflies, numerous marine mammals, turtles, ancient horseshoe crabs, and many rare and endangered plants. Positive changes have resulted, like the creation of new parks, restoration of wetlands, increased biodiversity, and improved public access for recreation, economic activity for local businesses, and jobs for residents.

Keeping this positive momentum going will take all of us. As neighbors of New York City’s largest tidal estuary, we have a responsibility and privilege to ensure its longevity for future generations. Last week, the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy (JBRPC) worked with 150 volunteers to remove over 1,200 pounds of debris across two sites on Broad Channel and Rockaway Beach. As the busy season for the bay and peninsula begins, minding our trash is one of the best things we can do for our local environment.

Another, even simpler thing we can do is just to get outside, experience nature for a few hours each week, and support our parklands with our presence—to add personal “Earth Days” to our calendar through the remainder of spring and summer. There are a bevy of free events approaching now that the weather is warm, and the sun is (mostly) shining. On Saturday, May 3, JBRPC is hosting “Run the Runways: Floyd Bennett Field’s Birthday Bash!” This free 2-mile fun run (or walk) on the historic runways of Floyd Bennett Field will be followed by picnicking (bring your own; we’ll provide tables), music, lawn games, kids crafts, and scavenger hunts around the park’s historical aircraft collection. On Saturday, May 10, JBRPC is hosting “Park Pals” at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, an early childhood nature education program for kids aged 0-6. On Sunday, May 18, the “Annual Horseshoe Crab Festival” will give participants the chance to interact with breeding horseshoe crabs that have been coming ashore in spring for 400 million years. All these events, and more, are listed on JBRPC.org/events.

The race to save Jamaica Bay is not won, but thanks to the tireless efforts of many environmentally inclined organizations and individuals, we have a running start. Keeping the marshes healthy is not just a broad environmental concern, but a local issue of acute importance. A resilient Jamaica Bay protects neighborhoods and residents from storm surges and flooding worsened by climate change, encourages economic activity in local communities, and creates opportunities to enjoy time in nature. These waters connect us—to each other, and to the natural history going back to our home’s formation 10,000 years ago.

 Photos by JBRPC and Arthur Tress.