Blackwall island planting project

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