Spring Recap & Jamaica Bay Festival
April and May were invigorating months for Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy (JBRPC). The re-awakening of Jamaica Bay brought a flurry of activity from our community of friends, neighbors and partners in parklands.
April
JBRPC completed several cleanups across the estuary for Earth Month. We worked with volunteers to clear debris from Kingsborough Community College in Manhattan Beach, from Rockaway Beach (in partnership with The Rockaway Hotel), from Broad Channel American Park, and from the shoreline adjacent to Adrienne’s restaurant, on the north side of the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge. The final cleanup, led by JBRPC’s Wetlands Fellows and the Jamaica Bay Ecowatchers, removed debris from March’s three-alarm fire next to the restaurant on Van Brunt road. All together, JBRPC cleanups marshalled 124 volunteers to remove 1,876 pounds of debris across the four locations.
At Floyd Bennett Field, JBRPC’s Park Pals program provided interactive nature education for children aged 0-6. The program provides enrichment activities that start indoors and culminate with a fun explorers walk at the shoreline. Last week’s program included a shoreline cleanup to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards. At the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, there was an opportunity for families to observe and record wildlife as part of the City Nature Challenge, presented by JBRPC and the National Park Service.
May
Local families joined the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy (JBRPC), The Garden By the Bay, and the Edgemere Alliance at the 43rd Street Waterfront Park on Saturday, May 9, for the annual Pollinator Festival — presented in partnership with NYC Parks. Attendees learned about native bees, butterflies, and other pollinating insects that support coastal and urban habitats, while participating in hands-on activities highlighting their role in building resilient waterfronts and the challenges they face.
The 10th Annual Horseshoe Crab Festival happened on Sunday, May 17, bringing nature lovers to the south shore of Broad Channel, in Queens, for horseshoe crab mating season. Participants observed, measured and tagged these amazing arthropods, which have remained virtually unchanged for 450 million years.
What’s next?
JBRPC and its partners have a bunch of free events approaching, designed to strengthen our collective bonds with parklands, improve open spaces and protect the natural environment. There’s birding, biking, stargazing, fishing, volunteerism and more. Learn how to get involved at our events page.
Save the Date!
Jamaica Bay Festival is returning on Saturday, July 25!
The Jamaica Bay Festival is a free, fun, family event taking place along the water in Brooklyn and Queens — featuring activities that encompass wildlife and nature, history, stewardship, arts, culture, and recreation of all kinds: biking, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, swimming and more.
If you’d like to become a partner and have your activity included in this year’s festival promotion, OR if you’d simply like to learn more about the festival and how to enjoy it this year, please visit JamaicaBayFestival.com