GerritsenBeach.net

Whats happening with Mau-Mau you ask? as previously reported it is being cleared out by heavy equipment but there is more.

Let’s start this off by saying there are two separate projects that have to do with Mau-Mau. One is a New York City Parks project mandated by the DEC and the other is a Gateway National Park project (federal). I have posted about the Gateway project in the past so this post will only have to do with the New York City Parks Project.

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A lack of a boat prevents me from taking my own pictures but there is heavy equipment on Mau Mau and they are clearing the island.

If you have any pictures or can take some of your own email me the pictures. If you cant email me get them developed and then find me.

Coming in Via House Call :)

Mau Mau/White Island is surrounded by hundred if not thousands of black sand bags which are holding the entire island together. Most of these bags are completely worn out from weather, tides and time. Over the last few years, these bags have been killing horseshoe crabs. You can see from the pictures (above and below) that the crabs are coming up to the shore line and getting tangled in the fibers of the broken bags. Killing them

With all of the recent talk of horseshoe crab poaching and Park Police stepping up enforcement in the area to catch poachers, it seems ironic that the Horseshoe Crabs are dying on Parks property.

The back story is here: Say Goodbye to Mau-Mau Island

Via NYPost

At a cost of $15 Million dollars the New York City Parks Department and the state Department of Environmental Conservation began last month began spraying herbicides on White Island to kill weeds, that will be replaced by grasslands.

It’s all to bring back a rare bird back to the area/island, that was forced out when they built the shopping center at Erskine Street.

Mike Fellar, the city Parks Department’s chief naturalist says “it’s unlikely that the public will have access to White Island once it’s cleaned up - despite it being classified as parkland - because officials want the habitat kept pristine for the wildlife.”

More from the article

The trash-strewn White Island is quietly being converted into a habitat for the little bird called Henslow’s sparrow, which hasn’t been spotted in the Big Apple in more than a decade, The Post has learned.

Ida Sanoff, chairwoman of the environmental group Natural Resources Protective Association, said she’s glad the city is finally cleaning up the 70-acre site - also known as “Mau Island” - near Jamaica Bay but doubts the project will bring the inconspicuous bird back

“What are they going to do? Put up a sign saying: ‘Hello, sparrows. Beautiful nesting places here!’?” she said.

Geoffrey Croft, who heads the watchdog group New York City Park Advocates, blasted the city for killing off not just weeds, but some endangered plant life, while spraying the herbicides. He also questioned why the project began without community input.

White Island / Mau-Mau is going to be reconstructed via a NYC Parks capital project. The total cost of this project is: $1,155,000. The website has no project description at this time.

This project was announced at the May Property Owners meeting by Anthony Weiner’s representative, who was announcing a different project but knew of this project. There might be representatives, from Gateway and NYC Parks at the June meeting to explain what they are doing.

Marine Park Capital Projects (In Progress)

Project Description.

• MARINE PARK/WHITE ISLAND - RECONSTR & HERBICIDE APPLICATION Total Budget: $1,155,000.00

• MARINE PARK - DEMOLITION OF FIELD HOUSE & CONSTR OF COMMUNITY CENTER @ FILLMORE AVE Total Budget: $6,060,000.00