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Volunteers to Plant 10,000 Trees to Restore Sandy-Damaged Jamaica Bay

By Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska | October 22, 2016 1:07pm
 Next week, volunteers will plant 10,000 native trees and shrubs in Jamaica Bay.
Next week, volunteers will plant 10,000 native trees and shrubs in Jamaica Bay.
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Jonathan Grassi for The Nature Conservancy

QUEENS — Nearly four years ago, the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, which is the city’s largest open space, suffered a massive damage from the impact of Hurricane Sandy.

Fourteen acres of the refuge — which is home to diamondback terrapins turtles, red bats and more than 300 species of birds — were destroyed, as saltwater from the bay poured over the area.

Next week, hundreds of volunteers will spend six days planting 10,000 native trees and shrubs to help “restore wildlife habitat and improve coastal resilience” in the area, the organizers said.

The types of trees and shrubs that will be planted were selected to attract and provide food for birds, because the park is an important stop in the Atlantic Flyway, a major bird migration route that stretches between the Arctic to South America.

“The restoration efforts will provide birds with better habitat and nutrient-rich food for their journey,” read a statement from The Nature Conservancy, which co-organized the event.

Photo: Jonathan Grassi for The Nature Conservancy

The new trees and shrubs will also include flood- and salt-tolerant species, meant to improve the park’s ability to recover from future floods.

The event is part of a three-year collaborative project between the Nature Conservancy, the National Park Service, and the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy that began last fall, and also included invasive species removal.

"It's incredible to see the changes Jamaica Bay has undergone since Hurricane Sandy struck four years ago,” said Emily Nobel Maxwell, director of The Nature Conservancy’s New York City program. "This project is a fantastic opportunity to steward one of our most important natural areas."

The goal is to plant 30,000 trees and shrubs by the end of next year, the organizers said.