Arverne East nature preserve opens in Rockaway
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Borough President Donovan Richards tours the Arverne East nature preserve after the ribbon was cut on the project. Photo via Borough President Donovan Richards
By Ryan Schwach
An area of Rockaway Beach once known as an overgrown dumping ground is now a natural oasis after officials cut the ribbon on the Arverne East nature preserve on Wednesday.
The 35-acre nature preserve is part of the massive Arverne East development project in the Rockaways, which aims to transform 100 acres of underutilized space and become the first net-zero development in the city.
This week, officials cut the ribbon on the new nature preserve, which hosts five different maritime ecosystems, providing a safe home for diverse local flora and fauna.
Pedestrian pathways weave through the preserve, offering New Yorkers a new way to observe and appreciate these natural environments, including accessible connections to the Rockaway boardwalk and beach.
A new multi-purpose building was also constructed as part of this project, which will house a community meeting space, office space for Urban Park Rangers, crew headquarters for Parks Department maintenance staff and public restrooms.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, who had lauded the project throughout his tenure in office, called Wednesday’s ribbon cutting another historic step.
“What was once a vacant, overgrown illegal dumping ground for decades is now a stunning hub of wildlife and a successful example of what community-centered sustainability work looks like,” said Richards. “I could not be prouder of this project or of the Arverne East development as a whole, which represents transformational change for a community that had previously been ignored for generations. Thank you to all of our public and private partners for making this day a reality, and I look forward to spending many summer days spent enjoying this peaceful preserve with my family.”
The Arverne East Nature Preserve is a 35-acre natural area preserve designed by Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects. There are five ecological communities within the preserve: maritime grassland, maritime dunes, maritime shrubland, maritime forest and maritime swale.
Visitors to the preserve may see different shorebirds using the swale and migrating songbirds using the forest and shrublands. In the fall, seaside goldenrod will fill the site with color, as will monarch butterflies. Locally sensitive plants such as beach sedge and Gray's flatsedge will also call the nature preserve home.
“By establishing the new Arverne East Nature Preserve, we’re not only protecting our natural environment but also providing fresh opportunities for New Yorkers to engage with the rich diversity of plant and animal life that enriches our city,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue.
“As custodians of over 10,000 acres of natural areas across the five boroughs, Parks is committed to maintaining strong, ecologically vibrant public spaces, helping local wildlife thrive while making our city more beautiful, resilient, and livable,” she added. “Together with the new welcome center, local farm, and native plant nursery, this new nature preserve is a great resource for the Rockaway community.”
The nature preserve also features the approximately 6,000 square foot welcome center, which has a community meeting room.
The welcome center, like all of Arverne East, is fossil fuel-free. A closed-loop, geothermal system provides heating, and cooling, while a rooftop solar array generates power to supply the building and eventually provide additional energy to low-income residents in the neighborhood.
On top of the nature preserve, Arverne East will eventually be the site of a massive housing development, which will include parks, commercial spaces and 1,650 units of housing.
