City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 2012 The Creeks, Beaches, and Bay of the Jamaica Bay Estuary: The Importance of Place in Cultivating Relationships to Nature Kristen L. Van Hooreweghe Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/1815 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] The Creeks, Beaches, and Bay of the Jamaica Bay Estuary: The Importance of Place in Cultivating Relationships to Nature by Kristen L. Van Hooreweghe A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Sociology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York 2012 © 2012 Kristen L. Van Hooreweghe All Rights Reserved ii This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in Sociology in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. William Kornblum _______________ ______________________________________________ Date Chair of Examining Committee John Torpey ______________ ______________________________________________ Date Executive Officer William Kornblum Kenneth Gould Hester Eisenstein Supervisory Committee THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iii Abstract The Creeks, Beaches, and Bay of the Jamaica Bay Estuary: The Importance of Place in Cultivating Relationships to Nature by Kristen L. Van Hooreweghe Adviser: Professor William Kornblum It is often assumed that people living in urban areas lack connections to the natural world and are the source of environmental problems. This assumption, however, is an oversimplification of urban life. Employing an eco-ethnography, with participant observations, qualitative interviews, and an environmental history, this study examines New York City’s Jamaica Bay estuary and surrounding neighborhoods to understand how residents cultivate their relationships to nature in a dense urban setting. Many residents near Jamaica Bay have developed a strong connection to place that is rooted in their regular, embodied experiences living, working, playing, and praying on the Jamaica Bay estuary. Through the process of creating place, residents have come to view Jamaica Bay as alive and a regular participant in daily life. As a result, some residents have come to take environmental action to preserve and protect the Bay. However, not all residents living along Jamaica Bay have the same access to the environmental experiences of the estuary, and therefore do not have the same opportunities to cultivate their relationship with nature. Furthermore, some residents have used their connection to place and environmental protection as reasons to keep “others” from accessing the Bay, resulting in environmental privilege. Consequently, the Jamaica Bay situation suggests the need for urban environmental policy that foregrounds the natural environment and engenders a sense, among all urban residents, that nature is a regular part of daily life. iv Acknowledgements As with all large projects, this dissertation would not have been possible without the help of many others. I would like to thank the members of the Jamaica Bay community for allowing me to be a part of “their place,” and for their generosity of time, their honesty, and their willingness to give of themselves to protect the Bay. I would also like to thank the members of my dissertation committee, William Kornblum, Kenneth Gould, and Hester Eisenstein, each of who have challenged me, encouraged me, and nurtured my intellectual development. I would also like to thank my family and friends, without their willingness to listen, their continued support, encouragement, and humor, I would never have completed the dissertation or be who I am today. Thank you. A special thanks to Alex (and Mork), your unconditional love and support mean the world to me, ground me, and inspire me in ways I could never have imagined. Any and all errors are my own. v Table of Contents Chapter One: Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 The Jamaica Bay Estuary ............................................................................................................ 3 From Wetland to Wasteland and Back Again: Jamaica Bay, NY .............................................. 8 The Environment in (Environmental) Sociology ...................................................................... 14 A Note on Language and Concepts .......................................................................................... 17 Methods..................................................................................................................................... 20 Reflexivity: The Environment, Gender, and Race .................................................................... 23 An Eco-feminist Take on Jamaica Bay ..................................................................................... 28 Dissertation Map ....................................................................................................................... 30 Chapter 2: An Environmental History of Jamaica Bay ................................................................ 32 The Value of Environmental History ........................................................................................ 33 Spartina alterniflora .................................................................................................................. 34 Crassostrea Virginica – The Eastern Oyster ............................................................................. 37 Food and Habitat in Jamaica Bay’s Marshes: The Pre-Industrial and Early Industrial Era ..... 41 The Reconstruction Era Transforms Jamaica Bay: Post-Civil War to 1900 ............................ 48 Industrialization of Jamaica Bay Takes its Toll: Environmental Change from 1900 to 1940 .. 54 Budding Environmentalism Transforms Jamaica Bay: The WWII era-1972 ........................... 62 The Post-Gateway Era: 1972-Present ....................................................................................... 63 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 71 Chapter 3: Live, Work, Play, and Pray in Jamaica Bay: The Importance of Place in Cultivating Relationships to Nature ................................................................................................................. 73 Jamaica Bay, a Special Place Among New York’s Many Places ............................................. 76 vi Live, Work, Play, and Pray on Jamaica Bay: Experiencing and Creating Place ...................... 79 Living near Jamaica Bay ....................................................................................................... 81 Working on Jamaica Bay ...................................................................................................... 85 Playing on Jamaica Bay ........................................................................................................ 90 Praying on the Bay ................................................................................................................ 96 Citizen-led Environmental Remediation in Jamaica Bay ....................................................... 100 Arguing for the Role of Nature in Place: ................................................................................ 111 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 113 Chapter 4: Jamaica Bay: Boundaries, Real and Imagined .......................................................... 115 Intersecting Creeks, Streets, and Socio-demographics: Accessing Jamaica Bay ................... 116 Gerritsen Beach: .................................................................................................................. 129 Mill Basin and Bergen Beach: ............................................................................................ 134 Canarsie: ............................................................................................................................. 139 East New York: ................................................................................................................... 148 Howard Beach (Hamilton Beach, Ramblersville, Old Howard Beach), Queens ................ 151 Ozone Park and South Ozone Park: .................................................................................... 156 Broad Channel .................................................................................................................... 158 Rockaway Peninsula (Edgemere, Far Rockaway, Arverne, Hammels, Rockaway Park, Neponsit, Belle Harbor, Breezy Point) ............................................................................... 161 The Exclusionary Potential of Place ....................................................................................... 171 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 179 Chapter 5: Conclusion ................................................................................................................