NEW YORK—Just south of John F. Kennedy Airport, and with Manhattan's skyscrapers still visible in the distance, Jamaica Bay is a 9,000-acre wildlife refuge that remains a unique portion of the Big Apple. It's probably the only place in New York City where you will get a chance to see a red fox, a horseshoe crab and a jackrabbit in their natural habitat.
Equipped with nets, notebooks, and insect repellent, Queens College researchers will descend on the refuge on Sept. 7, and they won't emerge for 24 hours. They're not filming an episode of "Survivor," they're staging the first BioBlitz—a round-the-clock tally of flower and animal species present in the bay. The event, open to the public, is meant to be fun and raise awareness about the great value of this natural treasure.
Event co-organizer, Professor Gillian Stewart said Jamaica Bay "is comprised of incredibly diverse landscapes. There are wetlands, ponds, forests, estuaries, marshes, rivers, uplands, meadows, etc. This rich ecosystem is home to a huge number of marine, estuarine, and terrestrial species as well as thousands of coastal migratory organisms."
While Jamaica Bay has been protected by the federal government since 1972, being in such close proximity to JFK airport and the commercial and industrial development of New York City has taken its toll. For example, about 49 of the 65 square kilometers of wetlands have been filled in or are disappearing, and sewage treatment plants have impacted the water quality.
"The BioBlitz is not aimed to stop development or destruction, but instead to make the public aware of the amazing biodiversity in their 'backyard.' We hope people will realize how close and accessible this amazing resource is," said Stewart.
The schedule of free activities on Friday Sept. 7 and the following Saturday morning will include guided field walks, a workshop on sketching plants and animals in the wild and a junior BioBlitz for children. Meanwhile, professional naturalists will be staking out parts of the park in four-hour shifts, returning to the wildlife center to file regular reports.
"We're going to take a team of scientists with different specialties in plants and animals, and survey the hell out of a plot of land," said Queens College Professor John Waldman. "It's a quick and dirty look at what's there, giving us a baseline for the future."
The final species count, and other interesting findings, will be announced at closing ceremonies on Sept. 8 at 3 p.m., when Congressman Anthony Weiner will speak.
Whether for the BioBlitz or just to getaway from the city, Jamaica Bay is amazingly accessible via the A Train.
"Anyone can go and visit Jamaica Bay at the Wildlife Refuge, Fort Tilden, and Floyd Bennett Field, and other sites," said Stewart. "This is the only unit of the National Park Service accessible by subway."
