The @RockawayTimes #photocontest is now open! Submit your #Rockaway & #JamaicaBay photos by April 13

Oh Snap! $500 For The Winner

As published in the Rockaway Times | BY ROCKAWAY STAFF

15 FEBRUARY 2018

The Rockaway Times Photo Contest Is Back !

Hit us with your best shots (again)! The Third Annual Rockaway Times Photo Contest is now underway.  As our regular feature, Local Color, shows — Rockaway is full of some talented photographers.  But the contest reveals the best of the best and you don’t have to be a professional to win the top prize of $500.

Last year’s winner, Jennifer Keim, snapped a gorgeous shot of a wave splashing a bulkhead, with a sunset and the Breezy Point Lighthouse in the background.  It was taken on her iPhone. The contest's judges didn’t seem to mind as they deemed hers the best among 15 finalists at a ceremony at Caracas on the boardwalk.

The boardwalk was also the site of where photos of 30 semi-finalists had their work displayed.  Photo entries were blown up to poster-sized masterpieces and were displayed from Beach 19th Street to Riis Park.  One of the finalists, Joe Seminara, said, “What an honor! The photos are all amazing and they add so much to the boardwalk.”

Photos submitted are also considered for the annual cover of The Rockaway Times Summer Guide.  In 2016, Timmy Burke’s bike on the beach adorned the cover and last year Seminara’s shot of his surfing daughter, Maya, was chosen.

Once again, community activist and Rockaway Times columnist, John Cori, will spearhead the contest. “My main goal is to get people exposure. We have great photographers who really capture the beauty and wonderful backdrop of the peninsula, and we want to get their photos out there, instead of on their phones or on Facebook,” Cori said.

The contest, which draws more than 1,000 photos, has proven so successful it has attracted willing co-sponsors.  The NYC Parks Department, the Jamaica Bay – Rockaway Parks Conservancy (JBRPC), the NYCFerry, and the Rockaway Artists Alliance (RAA) contribute time, money and manpower to make the contest a real signature event on the Rockaway calendar.

Details on judging and when photos will be displayed will be announced in the coming weeks.  For now, the main news is the photo contest is now open and the categories are: Jamaica Bay (including shots on the water, Broad Channel and the bird sanctuary); Beach Life (surfing, swimming, families, fun, sunsets, if you think it fits we’ll consider it!); The Ferry (shots anywhere along the route or taken from the shore); Rockaway Action Shots (if there’s movement and it’s a great shot in Rockaway, send it in!); Pets (need we say more?).

Please, please keep in mind: you are limited to TWO (2) photos per category so only send the ones you think will compete for top honors.  Photos must be high-resolution, otherwise they will not look good when enlarged for boardwalk viewing.  (Or you must be able to get us a high-res version if your photo is selected).

Please email your contest entries to PhotoExpo@RockawayTimes.com and kindly tell us which category you’d like the photo(s) to be included in.

Note that any photo submitted will be used any way The Rockaway Times sees fit, including in The Rockaway Times Summer Guide. Photo credit will be given but no other compensation offered. Photos that are submitted to Local Color can also be submitted into the contest.

Snap away!  The contest is open. $500 smackeroos and bragging rights forever might be yours.  The DEADLINE is FRIDAY, April 13.

More info: http://rockawaytimes.com/index.php/news/3473-oh-snap-500-for-the-winner

The Rockaway Times Photo Contest is now open! Submit up to two photos per category by Friday, April 13 - your photo could be featured along the boardwalk this summer and win a $500 prize! 

Join NYC Parks and JBRPC for World Wetlands Day Cleanup at Seagirt Avenue Wetlands #WorldWetlandsDay #Volunteer #JamaicaBay #Rockaway

Join the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy and New York City Department of Parks & Recreation Stewardship as we celebrate World Wetlands Day on Friday, February 2, 2018! Urban wetlands provide a variety of benefits including improved water quality and storm water retention. They also serve as critical habitat for native wildlife. Volunteer with the Stewardship Team and JBRPC to help protect these important ecosystems on World Wetlands Day! Volunteers will be removing debris from the Seagirt Avenue Wetlands in Far Rockaway, Queens. Volunteers should dress in clothes that can get dirty, close-toed shoes, and warm layers. Volunteers are also encouraged to bring their own water bottles. Volunteers under 18 must be accompanied by a chaperone. 

Space is Limited. Registration is required: https://www.nycgovparks.org/reg/stewardship/4598/register 
 

Meeting Location: Beach 6th Street and Seagirt Avenue, Far Rockaway.

More information can be found at: https://www.nycgovparks.org/reg/stewardship/4598

Join us for a free screening of Saving Jamaica Bay - A documentary film

Please join the Rockaway Artists Alliance, National Park Service and the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy for a special screening of

Saving Jamaica Bay
A Documentary Film

Saturday, November 4, 2017
6:00 PM
RAA sTudio 7 – Fort Tilden
Gateway National Recreation Area
Breezy Point, Queens

Stay after the film for a Q&A with the producer, Daniel Hendrick. 

Saving Jamaica Bay tells the story of how one community fought government inaction and overcame Hurricane Sandy to clean up and restore the largest open space in New York City, which had become a dumping ground for garbage, sewage and bullet-riddled mobsters. Narrated by Academy-Award winning actress Susan Sarandon, Saving Jamaica Bay underscores the importance of citizen action and the role of urban nature in protecting our cities from the effects of climate change. More information on the film can be found at https://www.savingjamaicabay.com/.

For tickets, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/saving-jamaica-bay-a-documentary-film-free-screening-tickets-38510426723 

#Science of the Living City presents: #NewYorkCity’s Coastal Future: What Can #JamaicaBay Be? @NaturalAreasNYC @SRIatJB

Science of the Living City presents:

New York City’s Coastal Future: What Can Jamaica Bay Be?

Marking five years since Superstorm Sandy, Science of the Living City is hosting a three-part event on the changing coastal areas in Jamaica Bay. This event will bring together voices from over 25 local organizations to discuss the current life in the watershed and its climate change threats, and present ideas for the watershed’s future.

Science of the Living City is a program of the New York City Urban Field Station, a partnership between NYC Parks, U.S. Forest Service, and the Natural Areas Conservancy.

This special event is in partnership with the Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay and the Jamaica Bay Rockaway Parks Conservancy.

All events will be held at the Lighthouse Auditorium at Kingsborough Community College, 2001 Oriental Boulevard, Brooklyn, New York 11235. Shuttle buses will run from from the Brighton Beach B/Q subway station.

RSVP here: http://bit.do/resilienceseries

Part One – Life in the Jamaica Bay Watershed
October 10, 2017, 6 p.m.

The Bay and its watershed are teeming with life, from the smallest microbes and unique flora to striped bass, migratory birds, and marine mammals.

Part one of the series will explore ecological communities in the Bay and the threats they face from climate change.

Part Two – Life on the Streets of the Jamaica Bay Watershed
October 17, 2017, 6 p.m.

The communities around Jamaica Bay value a lifestyle away from the confines of the inner city, as do its millions of visitors. But neighborhoods are exposed to storms, flooding, and coastal erosion.

Part two will focus on the climate challenges facing human communities in the watershed, which contains over 3 million people and at least 20 distinct localities.

Part Three – Looking Forward
October 24, 2017, 6 p.m.

The sea’s edge brings beauty and mystery, but also increasing exposure to extreme weather and floods. What does a future healthy and safe Jamaica Bay watershed look like?

This special event is in partnership with the Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay and the Jamaica Bay Rockaway Parks Conservancy.

2017 #JamaicaBay Wildlife Refuge Volunteer Event

Volunteers needed!

Are you interested in getting outside, meeting new people, and connecting with nature right here in New York City? Join hundreds of volunteers planting over 17,750 trees and shrubs at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens in late October. The refuge is part of Gateway National Recreation Area—the country’s first urban national park.

Like many parts of the city, Jamaica Bay was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. The Nature Conservancy, together with National Park Service and Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, will help undo that damage, making the refuge more resilient to future floods while also restoring critical wildlife habitat. Some of the interesting animals that make their home in the refuge include diamondback terrapins, horseshoe crabs, and more than 330 species of migratory and native birds! The refuge is actually one of the most important bird sanctuaries in the Northeast—a birder’s paradise here in the Five Boroughs.

Last year, volunteers helped us plant more than 10,000 trees and shrubs. Now we need your help to get the job done! Come along and make a positive, lasting impact on one of New York City’s most special natural areas.

We look forward to seeing you there! To register, please click here: https://plantjamaicabay17.eventbrite.com 

Dates:
Saturday, October 21, 2017 at 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Saturday, October 28, 2017 at 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Location:
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center
175-10 Cross Bay Boulevard
Broad Channel, New York 11693
For directions: https://goo.gl/maps/pUpadYp8ToA2

Registration:
Advance registration is required; space is limited to 50 volunteers per day. Please register anyone attending with you, including friends and family members. We ask that you please update your registration status in case your plans change prior to the event, so we can secure the necessary number of volunteers.

You will receive additional information, including volunteer waivers, prior to your selected volunteer day; however, if you have any additional questions, please email Christina Thorbourne, Program Coordinator at The Nature Conservancy, at cthorbourne@tnc.org.

Supplies & Clothing:
You will receive all the materials you need for planting, including shovels and gloves, as well as a boxed lunch and water refills. Please bring a refillable water bottle to help keep you hydrated.

Please dress comfortably. We recommend wearing sturdy shoes and long-sleeved shirts and pants to protect against poison ivy and ticks. We will have different forms of insect repellants as well as pre- and post-poison ivy contact treatment on-site.

Children & Youth:
This volunteer activity is appropriate for families and children over the age of 12. Youth under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Volunteers under the age of 18 must have waivers signed by their parent or guardian.

Getting There:
Directions: Please use the following link for directions to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center: https://goo.gl/maps/pUpadYp8ToA2.

Public Transportation: You can take the A train to the Rockaway Blvd stop and transfer to the Q52 or Q53 bus (on the corner of Liberty Ave and Cross Bay Blvd) heading south. Get off at the Cross Bay Blvd/Wildlife Refuge stop. Alternatively, you make take the A train to Broad Channel and then walk 15 minutes north along Cross Bay Blvd to the Visitor Center.

Parking: There are spots available for parking directly outside the visitor center and additional spots at a nearby parking lot five minutes north of the event.

Join us for a free screening of From the Ashes at Fort Tilden

The Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy and Bloomberg Philanthropies cordially invite the public to a free screening of

From the Ashes 

Saturday, August 26, 2017
5:30pm
sTudio 7 - Fort Tilden
Gateway National Recreation Area
Breezy Point, Queens

From the Ashes captures Americans in communities across the country as they wrestle with the legacy of the coal industry and what its future should be in the current political climate. From Appalachia to the West's Powder River Basin, the film goes beyond the rhetoric of the “war on coal” to present compelling and often heartbreaking stories about what's at stake for our economy, health, and climate. 

A compelling look at the lives and issues behind the “war on coal,” From the Ashes premiered at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival and the National Geographic Channel. To learn more visit: www.fromtheashesfilm.com.

To register for free tickets to this special event, please visit our Eventbrite page here.

FREE refreshments will be served. Stay after the film for a Q&A with the producers. 

For location and directions, please click here. Parking available on site. sTudio 7 is also accessible via mass transit by taking the Q22 or Q35 bus to Beach 169th Street or by utilizing the free NYC Ferry Shuttle (West route) from Beach108th Street. 

This event is being hosted in partnership with the Rockaway Artists Alliance. 

Join us for a special screening of Saving Jamaica Bay

Saving Jamaica Bay tells the story of how one community fought the government and overcame Hurricane Sandy to clean up and restore the largest open space in New York City. Narrated by Academy Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon, Saving Jamaica Bay also symbolizes the efforts to preserve urban nature, combat climate change, and invest in our national parks.

After the screening, you will have the opportunity to meet Dan Hendrick, the filmmaker and visionary behind Saving Jamaica Bay.

This screening will be hosted by the Natural Areas Conservancy, the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, the Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay, the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, the Washington Square Park Conservancy, and the team behind Saving Jamaica Bay.

This event will be held in Washington Square Park under the arch.

Please bring your own blanket to sit on. Food and non-alcoholic beverages welcome. Seating is first come, first served.

This event was generously supported by Con Edison. Stop by the Natural Areas Conservancy tent to pick up a t-shirt or stuffable tote bag celebrating this partnership.

4C: Four Corridors Foreseeing the Region of the Future at Fort Tilden

What will the New York metropolitan area look like in 25 years? How could climate change transform the appearance and uses of our coastline? What will the suburbs of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut look like in the future given the vast changes possible with new technologies?

Join the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy and the RPA on Friday, August 4 for the opening celebration of 4C: Four Corridors: Foreseeing the Region of the Future at The Chapel at Fort Tilden. This exhibit showcases the innovative designs of Port + Range, WORK ac, Only If + One Architecture, Rafi Segal A+U and DLAND Studio, as well as the role design has played in RPA’s previous regional plans. It will remain open to the public from August 4 through September 17 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between 11am and 6pm.

The Chapel at Fort Tilden
At the intersection of Murray and Heinzelman Road (map)
Breezy Point, NY 11697
Easiest entrance at Beach 169th Street and Murray Road  

Opening Day Celebration
Friday, August 4, 2017
2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

A summer afternoon event celebrating the launch of the exhibit. Features design teams, guest speakers, family-friendly activities and refreshments.

Please RSVP to Christina Kata at ckata@rpa.org

Summer Exhibit Hours
August 4 – September 17, 2017
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
11 AM – 6 PM

Exhibit is open to the public.

The exhibition is made possible through the generous support of The Secunda Family Foundation and the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy. For more information, please visit www.jbrpc.org.

This project is a partnership of Regional Plan Association and Princeton University School of Architecture. It will inform Regional Plan Association’s fourth regional plan, a strategic vision for the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut metropolitan region.

This project is generously supported by The Rockefeller Foundation.

Bayswater Park Picnic Area and Mural Takes Shape #JamaicaBay #FarRockaway

Thanks to dozens of volunteers from the Rockaways and beyond, the Jamaica Bay-theme mural at Bayswater Park is taking shape! Volunteers helped artist Ruth Hofheimer, the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy (JBRPC) and the Natural Areas Conservancy (NAC) over two days to bring this wonderful mural to life. Working with NYC Parks, JBRPC and NAC also welcomed new barbecues and picnic benches to the park. A formal ribbon cutting will take place Wednesday, July 26 at 1pm.  

For more photos, please visit our Instagram page at www.instagram.com/jbrpc. 

Katharina Grosse - on view at Fort Tilden Beach through September 15th

Two months left to see Katharina Grosse - on view at Fort Tilden Beach through September 15th. Visit this summer and be sure to tag us @JBRPC and #rockawaycolors. 

Organized by MoMA PS1 with the Rockaway Artists Alliance, Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, National Park Service, Central Park Conservancy, NYC Parks & Recreation, and Rockaway Beach Surf Club. Special thanks to Arverne By The Sea, LLC, Rockaway Beach Boulevard Construction, LLC, and All Points, Inc. This project is made possible through the generous support of Bloomberg Philanthropies and The Secunda Family Foundation.

mo.ma/rockaway

www.jbrpc.org

#rockawaycolors

Site-specific installation by Katharina Grosse at Gateway National Recreation Area at Fort Tilden. 2016. Image courtesy the artist and MoMA PS1. Photo by Pablo Enriquez.