EPA Awards Ceremony in downtown Manhattan

The Marsh Makers were honored with an Environmental Quality Award presented by the Environmental Protection Agency. The awards ceremony was held in the EPA offices in downtown Manhattan.

Left to right from the National Park Service at Gateway National Recreation Area: Doug Adamo, Chief, Natural Resource Division; Maria Burks, Commissioner, National Parks of New York Harbor; Tony Luscombe, Biological Technician, Natural Resource Management Division; Kim-Nora Moses, National Park Service volunteer.

Judith Enck, Regional Administrator

High Tides

The Marsh experienced a period of dryness during several high tides that failed to get past a small temporary dune along the bay side shoreline. This worked to the Marsh Makers' advantage, as we were able to clean an area that was always under water. Finally, in April the Marsh had resumed its natural flooding cycle.

26 April 2012

High of 60 °F | Humidity (avg) 80% | Wind @ 9 mph (ESE) | High Tide 4.3 ft. @ 12:05 PM | Moon 24% visible.

30 March 2012

High of 54 °F | Humidity (avg) 45% | Wind @ 11 mph (West) | High Tide 4.1 ft. @ 2:11 PM | Moon 49% visible.

23 March 2012

High of 77 °F | Humidity (avg) 65% | Wind @ 8 mph (ESE) | High Tide 5.4 ft. @ 9:06 AM | Moon 1% visible.

9 March 2012

High of 53 °F | Humidity (avg) 54% | Wind @ 18 mph (NW) | High Tide 6.0 ft. @ 8:05 AM | Moon 99% visible.

Professor Kathleen's CUNY students

Kathleen and her oceanography students helped with today's marsh cleanup. Also, Kim-Nora, Marty, Lisa, and Genie with her son (Danko) and daughter (Becky) kept the work going into the late afternoon.

High of 57 °F | Humidity (avg) 54% | Wind @ 14 mph (SW) | High Tide 5.6 ft. @ 10:45 AM | Moon 90% visible.

Rocky Point Marsh flora and fauna

Phragmites australis: sometimes regarded as the sole species of the genus phragmites…Air breathing snails: Melampus coffea, commonly known as the coffee bean snail… Spartina is commonly known as cord-grass…barnacles…Spartina patens, also called saltmeadow cordgrass, or salt marsh hay, is a species of cordgrass native to the Atlantic coast…hibernating wasps and rollie pollies…lichen or fungi.

Marsh Makers on the March

The Marsh Makers: (in order of appearance) Martin, Genie, Josh, Lisa, Neti, Zack, Moshe, and Sussana do the heavy lifting this spring, rain or shine.

Day 53

Removing wood and trash to clear small channels in the marsh became our main focus today. This will enable flooding during the next high tide. Thanks to a tireless volunteer crew: Kim-Nora Moses, Martin Angelo, John Tebbetts, Francesca Simondi, Josh Rudder, Lisa Scheppke, and Genie Gregor.

High of 47 °F | Humidity (avg) 65% | Wind @ 8 mph (ESE) | High Tide 5.7 ft. @ 8:42 AM | Moon 93% visible.

Day 52: Give 'em an inch, they'll take a pile

The Marsh Makers' mission was to remove all of the trash piles that had accumulated over the months. This would prevent the debris from spreading around the landscape.

A trash burrito (rolled into a tarp) made it easier to move it off the truck bed into the dumpster.

A rare find: an Alexander doll.

One could not ask for a more committed, hard working group: Francesca, Lisa, Genie, Sheridan, Martin, Kim-Nora.

High of 52 °F | Humidity (avg) 60% | Wind @ 6 mph (ENE) | High Tide 5.3 ft. @ 9:41 AM | Moon 75% visible.