Skeeter spraying to commence Tuesday

From the Daily News:

The city is getting a jump on skeeter season by spraying larvicide in several Queens, Bronx and Staten Island neighborhoods next week to stave off the West Nile virus.

Helicopters will spray larvicide on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to reduce the mosquito population in marshy and non-residential areas between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Specific locations include: Pelham Bay in the Bronx, Alley Creek, the abandoned Flushing Airport, Dubos Point, Edgemere Park in Queens and several areas of Staten Island.

DEP planting marsh grass

From the Times Ledger:

The city began a new organic operation to help save the wetlands in Jamaica Bay last Thursday that they hope will stop the deterioration of the marshlands at the heart of the problem.

Cas Halloway, commissioner for the city Department of Environmental Protection, announced the second phase of the agency’s Eelgrass Restoration Project designed to add 1,000 new plants to the ecosystem. The plants not only provide a safe habitat for birds and fish, but also help reduce the excess nitrogen in the bay’s water supply and stop the saltwater marshlands from degrading.

“Restoring eelgrass to Jamaica Bay is another important step in our efforts to improve this invaluable natural resource,” Holloway said in a statement. “This program, if successful, will mark the first time in nearly 100 years that eelgrass is able to survive in Jamaica Bay.”

The eelgrass will be planted at three locations near Jamaica Bay — Breezy Point, the Breezy Point Yacht Club and Dubos Point — and will be protected by special fencing, poles and sandbags, according to the commissioner. The DEP will hold biweekly monitoring efforts to track the progress of the plants and make notes on how it grows and thrives in the ecosystem.

Parks Dept euthanizes Mr. Oystercatcher

I am sure you remember the post about Dubos Point Wildlife Sanctuary that was on this site not too long ago. In it, I mentioned that Mr. Oystercatcher left a plea for help on the Parks Dept's website via a postcard requesting that readers contact Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski to ask that she clean up his habitat.

Well not only was Mr. Oystercatcher's request deleted, but so was the entire "send a postcard" feature. Damn, Dottie sure is sensitive (as well as unqualified)... But hey - the Google cache doesn't lie!

This is a wildlife sanctuary?

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.