Student Visit to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge

Taking a break from the city, the MPA students in Environmental Science and Policy took an afternoon trip to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Gateway National Recreation Area, on Friday, October 6.  Refuge Manager Dave Taft toured with the students around the grounds of this national park, discussing the uniqueness of wildlife refuge in the National Park System (NPS), which is usually the function of the Fish and Wildlife Service.  They discussed the diverging view points of typical refuge management and that of the NPS; while typical management usually involves significant alternation of the environment for the benefit of wildlife, NPS policy is centered on protection of ecosystems to allow natural processes to take place.    

Liam Strain, a student in the program who helped facilitate the trip, found the experience to be very insightful.  "This was a great opportunity to speak with a resource manager and discuss how environmental policies and law get implemented on-the-ground, and then see the results first-hand."

After a rustic hike around the grounds and viewing the Manhattan skyline, the students concluded their tour by viewing the newly opened LEEDS-eligible visitor center, created with sustainable technology (including its heating, cooling, and lighting) and building material (bamboo). 

Speaking with Dave Taft allowed students to discuss some of the benefits and constraints of regulation and policy implementation in a real life setting.  They also had the opportunity to examine some of the experimental marsh-building projects taking place, created to counter the unexplained wetland loss in the bay.