Day 41: Marsh militia breaches new channel

Rocky Point's fourth group cleanup day didn't break any turnout records, but made the greatest impact yet in terms of actual marsh restoration. This was because the 14 resolute individuals who showed up were both highly motivated and experienced in marsh making. Our mission was clear: open the clogged channels. 

But the first order of business was removing the small wood piles. Gateway National Recreation Area wanted wood for their summer camp programs, and we were happy to oblige. After sorting out the treated stuff we sent the burnable pieces by wheelbarrow to the pickup. Clockwise from upper left: Lisa, Cindy, Broc and Rob on firewood detail.

Tony and Steve then taxied the loads to the Floyd Bennet field campgrounds. Here's Tony betwixt twins Broc and Steve.

Hurricane Irene created a monstrosity of a logjam in the west channel. Some of these logs were the size of telephone poles, and would require significant butchering prior to removal. Alecio was the first to man the chainsaw at no small risk to himself. Most of the marsh lumber contained more metal spikes than an E.L.F. member's backpack.

Meanwhile, Alex, who set the hardcore bar pretty high during his last visit, outdid himself by cutting down logs with a handsaw.

Broc reported for carving duty by early afternoon, after a full morning of loading firewood.

He focused on a yet-untouched artery of the west channel. Here are the offending logs, slumbering peacefully...

...right before the wholesale slaughter ensued.

As the sawmen hacked away the rest of us shuttled dismembered log chunks out of the marsh. Unfortunately, wheelbarrows weren't an option.

So we did it Viking-style. Here are Moshe, Sarah and Josh making it look easy.

In case you're not convinced we worked hard enough, here are a few more.


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Don and Francois stopped by to check out the action.

Even the boy made an appearance. This was the first time in his whole three week-long life he'd ventured outside of Manhattan.

Auntie Aida and Grandma Violeta drove all the way from White Plains and the Bronx to deliver him and the wife.

After six hours we'd made quite a pile, here with Santos and Cindy for scale.

And here's introducing Rocky Point's newest addition, the northwest channel. Maybe we should call it Matchstick Alley. Now open for business.

Thanks to Steve, Alecio, Lisa, Cindy, Broc, Rob, Josh, Alex, Sarah, Moshe, Francois, Jonathan for working so hard on your day off. Thanks to grandma Violeta, auntie Aida, Irene, Francois and Don for stopping by. And as always, thanks to Tony for everything.

Photos by Irene

High of 66, max humidity 72%, average wind ENE @ 8 MPH, 5.2 high tide @ 11:18 AM. Moon 82% visible.

Water level unrecorded.

Birds seen in marsh: belted kingfisher, green heron, osprey, great egret, unidentified accipiter, eastern kingbird, yellow fronted warbler, robin