DeCosta Avenue and B63rd Street is the closest intersection to Dubos Point, a wildlife sanctuary created by the Parks Department from city owned land on the north shore of Rockaway in 1988. It was named in honor of environmentalist Dr. Rene Dubos, who coined the phrase "Think globally, act locally." From Parks' website: Rene Dubos is recognized as the primary developer of modern antibiotics. In later life, his attention shifted to humankind’s relationship with the natural environment. After Dubos died, his wife became the moving force behind the formation of this sanctuary. Dubos Point was a saltwater marsh until 1912, at which point it was filled with dredged materials for real estate development. The project failed to materialize and the site then reverted to a more natural state.
Unfortunately, the road leading to the entrance is blocked off by construction barriers and the sidewalk is strewn with materials used by the Department of Design and Construction for a nearby project. With this greeting visitors and no signs indicating that this spot is actually a park, the message sent out to the public is that they are unwelcome here. (No historical or dark green sycamore leaf signs here, folks!) However, Parks says The wetlands provide a unique environment for both wildlife preservation and urban recreation. Okay, so let's go in.
The beach here has been heavily eroded as you can see.
These concrete cylinders were placed along the shoreline in an effort to reduce the erosion. This is unsightly but understandable. The rest of what you are about to witness, however, is unforgivable.
Garbage.
Garbage.
...and more garbage! The Audubon Society helped maintain this property until 1999. I think we need to bring them back because the Parks Department is obviously neglecting its duty here.
Could you imagine a park in Manhattan being allowed to look like this?
If you can manage to look past all the debris, you realize this place's potential to be an open air classroom for kids as well as adults interested in marine biology, ornithology and environmental studies.
This is certainly a very important spot for migrating birds and other wildlife. The Parks Department writes: ...the site is the largest salt marsh on the north shore of the Rockaway peninsula east of Rockaway Point. Marsh interior species including sharp-tailed and seaside sparrow, and willet nest here. Upland grassland and maritime shrubland provide nesting habitat for diamondback terrapins, Fowler’s toad, and black-crowned night heron. The Merlin and Peregrine Falcon, both endangered species, have been seen on Dubos.
This funny-looking bird with the big red nose is called an Oystercatcher. And he is so upset about what is going on here that he's leaving.
14 comments:
Perhaps if you drive a mercedes,you'll be allowed to drive down the street.
THe garbage washes up from the water and get caught firmly is not washed back out. This is a nice site and they could have used uniform concrete forms on the shoreline to give it a more graceful look as other communities elswhere do - we are so lame in this city.
It's a wildlife sanctuary for the human animals that live in this world! Like the ones I see throw garbage out of their cars onto the streets!!!
would you expect any less from queens? considering the state of this borough, I'd say that's a beautiful sanctuary
that is a fxxking damn shame and where is mayor bloomass on this? since he claims he wants to go GREEN! get out there and clean this crap up now!!!!
The shoreline garbage is normal for any NYC waterfront with an intertidal zone; sad, but true. Manhattan parks don't look like this since they're bulkheaded. NYC Parks will never be able to handle all the waterborn debris (fix NYC's combined sewer outfall issue), so I'd recommend doing the next best thing, plan cleanup events for Earth Day, Coastal Cleanup Day, etc. From what I've seen at other parks (burned out cars, illegally disposed of construction debris, etc.), Dubos rates 6/10 minimum.
"The shoreline garbage is normal for any NYC waterfront with an intertidal zone; sad, but true."
And therefore they should be cleaned regularly by Parks personnel. I thought we have welfare to work people doing this stuff and God knows there are plenty of applicants in the Rockaways. What happened?
From what I've seen at other parks (burned out cars, illegally disposed of construction debris, etc.), Dubos rates 6/10 minimum.That's all there, too. There just wasn't a dry place for me to walk to get in position to take photos of it.
I only wish NYC Parks staff had the time to clean up the shores 24/7, and while they should do it as much as possible, we need to look for ways to help them, i.e. coastal cleanups by volunteers, suggestions such as bollards to prevent the dumping of cars within the park, etc.
QC: I assume the cars then are primarily within the tidal and/or freshwater wetland portions of the site?
No one's asking for 24/7 cleanups. Once a week would be nice and enough to prevent the buildup of debris we see here.
This is Queens because:
1. services suck in immigrant places, and 'those people' just don't complain
2. people in (most of) Queens just don't complain but wait for their politicans to set the priority for their community.
3. Their politicans spend tons of money on tweeder programs - there is only so much money to go around
Hmm, I think this would be great for a study on the state of the boro, and how Blumturd manages it.
Now if this was Brooklyn, or Manhattan, someone would take a recording of his speach telling us what a great manager he is, and superimpose images like this. Then put it on line.
But, being Queens, we will say "I hope someone will run against him, I don't like him" and this will be about as far as protest goes.
the right way, the wrong way, and ROCKAWAY
This is blighted ... lets BUILD ON IT!!!
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