blackwall island planting project
TRANSCRIPT
Jamaica Bay Ecowatcher’s and American Littoral Society
NYS DECACOENYC DEPNational Park Service
Began with Sand Placement in Summer 2012 Two islands recreated by ACOE with sand placed to
appropriate elevations Fall of 2012 Seed Collection by volunteers Spring/Summer of 2013 volunteers and youth work corps
planted 86,000 spartina plugs on Rulers bar-12 Acres Blackwall Island seeded –16 Acres
Rulers Bar Island May 2014
Extremely successful to date Grow out throughout entire island Future Projects can see Plugs can be planted on greater
distances Planting of Plugs reduced from $2.25 per plug to $1.00 per
plug Survived worst icing event in ten years
Experiment Effort to reduce cost Entire 16 acres seeded Transport of Equipment a Challenge
Initially assessed in April 2014 Second assessment with the Environmental Firm in Late
May 2014 No growth noted over the 16 acres Similar results were reported for Adjacent Yellow Bar Island Agreement Reached for Environmental Firm to Procure
40,00 plugs Ecowatchers and Littoral Society would plant
Volunteers
Restoration Corps
Local Youth Employment Groups
Plant 35,000 Plugs
Expand Planting Footprints to 3-4 foot on center
Funding obtained by NYC DEP and NYS DEC
Restoration through Community Partnerships
• Community-based volunteers
• Youth Engagement
Community Planting Days
• Over 600 volunteers participated
Corporate/Non-Profit Partners NYC Audubon Google HarborLAB Mitsui Sony Georgia TAP Aveda Bloomberg Estee Lauder Green Teens Hour Children Citizen’s Committee for NY NY Cares FDNY Youth NYC Parks Resiliency Corps
Corporate/Non-Profit Partners
Restoration Corps Youth Group
Hired Local Youth to Plant Plugs Ecowatchers Transported all plugs out and workers to the
island at no cost Change from per hour to per plug payment method Further Reduced Cost from initial $2.25 per plug
(environmental firm) to $1.00 per plug for Rulers to $.25 per plug for Blackwall
BLACKWALL ISLAND---LATE AUGUST 2014
BLACK WALL ISLAND—SEPTEMBER 10 2014
NORTH SIDE OF BLACK WALL ISLAND SEPTMEBER 2014
SEEDING AT THIS TIME DOES NOT APPEAR A VIABLE OPTION BOTH ISLANDS GREAT MODEL FOR FUTURE PROJECTS COSTS BROUGHT DOWN GREATLY FROM INITIAL PROJECTS ISLANDS ARE ALREADY CONTRIBUTING TO THE ECOLOGY
OF THE BAY ISLANDS ARE ALSO REDUCING GREATLY NORTHWEST
FETCH DAMAGE TO THE ISLAND OF BROAD CHANNEL AGENCIES PARTNERING WITH NON PROFITS AND UTILIZING
COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS AS WELL AS YOUTH GROUPS
OSPREY HUNTING OVER THE NEW ISLANDS