Preserving Habitat for Four Decades Don Riepe

Don Riepe is a past NYC Audubon vice president © Betty Hamilton and secretary, a current member of the advisory coun- cil, and a longtime birding guide and research partner. Following a career in the National Park Service, Don became northeast chapter director and Jamaica Bay Guardian for the American Littoral Society.

ince its inception in 1979, NYC Audubon has been deeply involved in Spreserving habitat for through- out City. In the 1980s the soci- ety initiated the “Buffer the Bay” pro- gram, whereby vacant lands in Queens and surrounding Jamaica Bay were sur- veyed and prioritized according to ecological values. Most of these lands were being held by agencies such as Housing (Photo and caption, August-September 1995) and Urban Development (HUD) and the who wrote about people interacting with Economic Development Corporation nature using Jamaica Bay as a prime example. (EDC). NYC Audubon worked with the Following that success came Brant Trust for Public Land and the American Point (named for the little Brant goose) and Littoral Society to have these lands trans- Four Sparrow Marsh (named by past Board ferred to NYC Parks. Fortunately, Henry President and Secretary Ron Bourqe and his Stern, then the NYC Parks Commissioner, wife Jean). The latter site borders Flatbush was greatly in favor of accepting these lands Avenue and the Belt Parkway. My favorite as preserves. The first successful transfer site is Vernam-Barbadoes Terrapeninsula, (November 1989) was a 25-acre parcel in Far Rockaway named a 20-acre Forever Wild* preserve bor- wooded shoreline at Fresh Creek, Brooklyn, Dubos Point Wetlands Preserve. This site dered by Vernam and Barbadoes basins in also transferred to NYC Parks. name was coined by a local activist named Arverne, Queens. The local community Another early habitat victory was per- Bernie Blum in memory of Dr. René Dubos, board wanted to allow a developer to build suading the National Park Service to set aside

© Calvin Wilson/NYC Parks a truck-body-customizing plant there. After over 140 acres of open area next to runways at a two-year letter writing campaign to have as grassland habitat for the this lovely peninsula transferred from the Grasshopper Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark, EDC to NYC Parks, persistence prevailed. Upland Sandpiper, American Kestrel, and The site was given to the New York City other open-field-dependent species. Ron and Department of Environmental Protection Jean Bourque, along with NYC Audubon vol- (DEP) whose commissioner at the time was unteers, cleared the site of woody vegetation Al Appleton, a former NYC Audubon pres- so it could be mown yearly by the National ident. Appleton then turned it over to NYC Park Service. Along with the Bourques, past NYC Parks Commissioner Henry Stern signing Parks. On the day of dedication, Henry Board President, Vice President, and cur- over management of Dubos Point Sanctuary to NYC Audubon. Also seated (left to right): Stern arrived at the site in a small motor rent Advisory Council Member David Burg, past Board Member Drew Lehman and past boat. He was dressed in battle fatigues a longtime advocate for grassland birds and Board President and Secretary Geoffrey Cobb Ryan. Standing (left to right): Bernard (including helmet) and planted the NYC their habitat, was instrumental in this restora- Blum of Friends of Rockaway, Marc Matsil of Parks’ green maple leaf flag on the shore, tion effort. NYC Parks, past Board President and Vice stating, “I claim this land as part of New Over the years NYC Audubon has been President Albert F. Appleton, and NYC Parks Deputy Commissioner Diana Chapin. York City’s Emerald Empire.” Additional involved in many other projects and pro- (January-February 1989) Buffer the Bay site successes included a grams that protected and enhanced habitat 12 www.nycaudubon.org Preserving Habitat for Four Decades Don Riepe

for birds. We advocated for and won protec- © Betty Hamilton of the City’s rooftops, in the form of green tion for several of the Harbor Heron islands: roofs, which we also monitor for wildlife the Isle of Meadows and Shooters and Prall’s including birds, bats, and insects. (See below Islands, off Staten Island’s western shore, to learn more about our green infrastructure and North and South Brother Islands, in the work.) None of these projects could have Bronx. We continue to monitor all 20 nest- been accomplished without NYC Audubon ing islands as part of our 35-year-old Harbor members, volunteers, and partners. NYC Herons survey project. Other initiatives have Audubon continues to provide the initiative included collaborative work to conserve Pictured (left to right): past Board Member Barbara and scientific basis for preserving open space Goethal’s Bridge Pond on Staten Island, Cohen; Mickey Cohen; Andy Stone of Trust for Public and habitat in all five boroughs of New Land; David Burg; Elizabeth Goldstein of NYS Parks; Bayswater State Park in Queens, Ridgewood Albert F. Appleton; Queens Borough President’s York City. Reservoir on the Brooklyn-Queens border, Special Assistant for Parks Elaine Castas; NYC State Parks Commission Chair Cynthia Wainwright; and Shirley Chisholm State Park in Brooklyn. John Graham; and two volunteers from the City * The Forever Wild Program is a NYC Parks Most recently, NYC Audubon has been in the Volunteer Corps. initiative to protect and preserve the most ecologically forefront of creating bird habitat on some (March 1992) valuable lands within the five boroughs.

Building a Greener Future Kaitlyn Parkins © NYC Audubon Kaitlyn Parkins, NYC Audubon’s conservation biologist, has a special research interest in animal migration and movement, as well as in innovative approaches to creating habitat in urban spaces.

istorically, NYC Audubon has advocated for the conser- vation of natural areas with two primary goals in mind: Hthe preservation of habitat for birds, and the safeguarding of ecological services that protect our city. Projects such as Buffer the Bay (1987), Buffer the Bay Revisited (1992), and Jamaica Bay Coastal Habitat Restoration Project (1994-1996) aimed to protect land surround- ing Jamaica Bay as bird habitat, and as a buffer from storms and flooding. In recent years, as the need to protect the City has become ever more imperative in the face of climate change, city planners have begun to design built infrastructure to mimic the ecosystem services provided by natural areas. Such projects include bioswales, permeable The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center green roof. Inset photo: American Kestrel. pavement, and green roofs. These green infrastructure projects are usually designed with in . The seven-acre green roof atop the Javits Center, stormwater capture and management as a main priority, but they designed by architects FXCollaborative, can absorb up to seven mil- provide countless other benefits to our urban ecosystem, including lion gallons of stormwater runoff each year. lowered temperatures, improved air quality, reduced noise pollution, Most recently, NYC Audubon has facilitated creation of the increased recreational space, and habitat for wildlife. Thus far NYC Green Roof Researchers Alliance, a group of over 50 researchers Audubon has been involved in the creation of three green infrastruc- in green roof science, policy, and education. Collaborative part- ture installations, at which we have also conducted biodiversity moni- nerships will be of critical importance as we continue to support toring focused on birds, bats, and insects: the Libra Triangle bioswale green infrastructure in New York City. Such projects demonstrate in Queens, the Kingsland Wildflowers at Broadway Stages green roof how our urban environment can provide solutions to habitat loss, in Brooklyn, and the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center green roof enabling birds to survive and even thrive here. 40th Anniversary 13