The Rockaways and Jamaica Bay attract millions of visitors each year and as the crowds increase, unfortunately so does the trash. Trash in the community impacts the daily lives of residents and often ends up in our waterways, threatening wildlife and public health. The good news is that we can avoid this by following some simple practices to keep it clean and protect local wildlife!
COMMON POLLUTION SOURCES
SINGLE-USE PLASTICS
Utensils, straws, water bottles… just some of the single-use plastic items that end up in our ocean and waterways. Not only is single use plastic a concern due to trash, it’s also derived from fossil fuels. Our reliance on single-use plastic creates more demand for fossil fuels, contributing to climate change.
Cigarette Butts
Cigarette butts discarded on our beach and streets are one of the top ten items found during cleanups - it’s not unusual to collect several hundred each time. They take over 12 years to degrade due to being made of plastic and present a hazard to people, wildlife, and our coastline.
Microplastics
Every piece of plastic ever made still exists in this world in some form. That’s because plastic does not fully decompose, it just gets smaller - becoming microplastic. These tiny plastic particles are particularly dangerous to wildlife who can easily ingest them, introducing plastic to the food chain.
Fishing Line
Fishing lines take about 600 years to degrade and are one of the most common items of debris found in our oceans worldwide. They can be lethal for marine life who become entangled in them. As well as being a hazard for recreational ocean use - with swimmers and boat engines also running the risk of an encounter with a derelict fishing line.
Pollution Solution
Carry In, Carry Out
As visitation to the beach and natural areas increases significantly each year, it becomes more difficult to keep on top of the trash problem. Even with more receptacles and collections, trash continues to pile up - eventually blowing across the beach or being interfered with by the birds. You can help by carrying your trash away from the beach and parks and discarding responsibly at home or a less crowded area.
Bring Your Own
Eliminate your trash footprint altogether by avoiding single-use items and bringing only reusable items to the beach. A reusable water bottle, straw, utensils, and food container are great to throw into your beach bag and useful for any time you are on the go. Reminding your friends and loved ones to do the same when making your beach arrangements is a thoughtful way to increase the impact.
Pick It Up
Local organizations frequently host cleanups to reduce the amount of debris that ends up in our ocean, waterways, and community. Each cleanup can easily pick up hundreds of pounds of trash, making a huge difference. This is just one approach to reduce the threat to our natural resources. It’s also critical that we target the core sources of the waste that we find, through taking action to advocate for legislative reform.
Dispose Responsibly
When trash is inevitable, disposing of it responsibly is crucial. Using receptacles, sorting recyclables and making effort to avoid discarding in heavily user areas can go a long way in keeping our communities clean. Keep an eye out for innovative programs like Terracycle who make recycling more challenging items, like cigarette butts, possible.
Jamaica Bay and the Rockaway peninsula are home to unique ecosystems that collectively hosts over 325 species of birds, 50 species of butterflies, and 100 species of finfish. This wildlife diversity includes endangered nesting shorebirds, rare plants, turtles, horseshoe crabs, dolphins, and even whales and seals! The area hosts over 35 city, state, and national park sites, making it a unique area with an abundance of opportunities for urban recreation while also prioritizing wildlife preservation. Jamaica Bay and Rockaway are prime stops along the Atlantic Flyway, an important migratory bird route along the eastern seaboard, making the area a birder’s paradise and critical nesting grounds! Specialized ecosystems such as dunes and salt marshes in the area protect us from extreme storm events and provide critical food, shelter, and nesting grounds for local wildlife. Enjoy access to NYC’s coastal natural areas and great wildlife viewing, but help us protect these native New Yorkers by observing wildlife from a distance and staying on designated trails and pathways.
Meet Some of the Locals
Whales and Dolphins
After decades of advocacy efforts, water quality in and around New York has improved so much that whales, dolphins, and even seals can be seen in Jamaica Bay and Rockaway waters.
Learn more at Gotham Whale!
Turtles
Numerous turtle species can be found in Jamaica Bay and Rockaway. Jamaica Bay hosts the state’s largest concentration of diamondback terrapins and the shores of Rockaway provide breeding grounds to endangered sea turtles.
Migratory Birds
Jamaica Bay and Rockaway offer important refuge and stopover habitats for hundreds of species of migrating birds every year.
Learn more from NYC Audubon:
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Jamaica Bay Parks
The Rockaways
Horseshoe Crabs
These “living fossils” are not actually crabs, but more closely related to scorpions and spiders. Every spring, horseshoe crabs mate and produce billions of eggs that provide food for many shorebirds.
Learn more from Don Riepe, Jamaica Bay Guardian.
Protect Their Home
Keep It Clean
The amount of products that we consume and dispose of has an impact on our environment and local wildlife. Over 90% of seabirds are found to have plastics in their stomachs, and it is estimated that over 100,000 marine mammals die each year from plastic pollution. When visiting Jamaica Bay and Rockaway parks and shores, reduce what you bring, dispose of your trash in specified bins, and carry in what you carry out.
Keep Off Dunes
Dunes protect us from extreme storm events and provide critical food, shelter, and nesting grounds for local wildlife. With millions of visitors to Rockaway Beach every year, any unnecessary footsteps on the dunes can negatively impact these critical ecosystems. Dunes are not the site for your beach day set-up. So enjoy all they have to offer, but stay off of them!
Give Them Space
Just like us, local flora and fauna need their own space to grow and thrive. In particular, some areas of Rockaway beach are reserved solely for endangered birds and their nesting season. You can help by sharing the shore and educating others about this important habitat. Learn more and take the
Share the Shore pledge:
Share the Shore
Dispose of Your Line
Improperly discarded fishing line is one of the most damaging items of plastic marine debris and causes harm to humans and animals alike. Monofilament lines, often invisible, can ensnare swimmers and divers and foul the engines of recreational boats. It also endangers the lives of marine animals and birds. You can help by properly disposing of your fishing line.
Learn more about JBRPC’s local fishing line recycling program:
Fishing Line Collection & Recycling Program