SHARE THE SHORE
Join us in sharing the shore!
Did you know that one mile of Rockaway Beach is specially protected each spring for endangered beach-nesting birds? Every year, species like piping plovers, American oystercatchers, common terns, and black skimmers travel thousands of miles to nest and raise their chicks along our local shoreline. But surviving here isn’t easy — their eggs and chicks are incredibly well camouflaged in the sand, making them vulnerable to accidental human disturbance.
This spring, Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy (JBRPC), NYC Parks, and the NYC Plover Project partnered with local elementary students for the sixth year of the Share the Shore campaign. This art and advocacy initiative empowers students to become stewards of their local environment by creating artwork and conservation messages on behalf of these remarkable shorebirds, while also highlighting the importance of public access to our beaches as shared spaces for both people and wildlife.
This year’s campaign featured fourth graders from Peninsula Preparatory Academy Charter School, PS 160Q, and Challenge Preparatory Charter School. After learning about the birds, their nesting habitat on Rockaway Beach, and the many challenges they face, students designed original posters celebrating the four species and encouraging beachgoers to help protect them.
Inspired by the campaign’s messages of environmental stewardship and community care, students created thoughtful conservation artwork tailored to the Rockaway Beach Endangered Species Nesting Area (RBESNA), pictured below.
Share the Shore Gallery
Student artwork is printed on signage, which will be displayed along New York City Park’s Rockaway Boardwalk, and in the Gateway National Recreation Area at Jacob Riis Beach. These selections and other favorites can also be viewed in our digital gallery below!
Peninsula Preparatory Academy Charter School
Challenge Preparatory Charter School
PS 160 Q
Many thanks to the wonderful teachers and creative students who made this program a success! If you are interested in scheduling a Share the Shore education program please email education@jbrpc.org.
Want to learn more about how you can protect our local beach-nesting birds? Visit NYC Audubon’s Share the Shore and NYC Plover Project.