JBRPC Celebrates its 10-year Anniversary
Happy 10th Anniversary, JBRPC!
JBRPC turns ten today, April 29, and we're excited to celebrate with all of YOU, our supporters, followers, and staunch advocates for the parks and ecosystems of Jamaica Bay and Rockaway!
JBRPC was conceived in response to a need for a public-private partnership to support the National, City and State park agencies that collectively manage more than 10,000 acres of public parklands around the Bay and Rockaway peninsula. With a mission focused on park improvements and public stewardship, JBRPC grew up with Superstorm Sandy recovery efforts and the need to increase community and climate resilience.
Over the last ten years JBRPC has removed more than 35 tons of trash and debris from shorelines and parks, planted more than 350,000 native plants and trees, hosted more than 100,000 people at public programs and events -- including our signature Jamaica Bay Festival and Discover Jamaica Bay tour series. We've organized more than 200 stewardship events that drew support from more than 3,000 dedicated volunteers, and welcomed more than 10,000 students into our environmental education programs. We created the Rockaway! Public Arts Festival, featuring works by artists Patti Smith, Katharina Grosse, and Yayoi Kusama. We supported planning for Shirley Chisholm State Park at the former Penn and Fountain Landfills, and managed the planning, design and construction of a 2,400-linear foot living shoreline at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Rounding out our first decade, earlier this year we launched the Jamaica Bay Wetlands Fellowship to train the next generation of wetlands managers and advance nature-based solutions and the jobs to sustain them over the long-term.
All of this was accomplished through the dedication and tenacity of a small but mighty team; current members pictured above. JBRPC is ever-grateful for past and current employees, Board members, volunteers, and partners who have tirelessly worked alongside us for the betterment of our beaches and Bay. We're proud of the many robust partnerships that have been developed along the way with community groups, elected officials, supporters, and our incredible partners in government.
Looking ahead to the next decade, JBRPC is poised and uniquely positioned to build on prior success to realize greater impact in our public parklands. Work is already underway to expand our education programs for younger students and family audiences, increase stewardship opportunities and grow our Wetlands Fellowship program, and transform Floyd Bennett Field into a hub for community and climate resilience.
I'm proud to be part of this incredible team and community, and proud to work alongside all of you, our friends, supporters, and partners.
Thank you for an incredible ten years, Jamaica Bay and Rockaway! And "cheers" to many more ahead!
Terri Carta
Executive Director, Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy