From the Director
T
hese are exciting times at the Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay (Institute). We are ushering in new staff, catalyzing new research, and convening agencies, communities, and scientists, all towards a central purpose – a resilient Jamaica Bay.
To date, the Institute has received over $4.5 million in research funding from diverse sources, including the National Park Service, the Rockefeller and Packard Foundations, and more recently the CUNY Strategic Investment Initiative. Led by Brooklyn College faculty, the strategic investment project, “Experiential Learning at Brooklyn College,” showcases the power of the Institute’s relationship with land managers.
The Institute’s first comprehensive volume, entitled “Prospects for Resilience: Insights from New York City’s Jamaica Bay,” is headed to production at Island Press. Meanwhile, we are engaging scientists, public agencies and stakeholders to distill and synthesize salient findings from the book in a Summary for Decision Makers. This resource will be further refined through discussions at the bi-annual State of the Bay conference, initiating a formal, ongoing process of resilience assessment.
The Institute is initiating a Consortium Internship and Fellowship program by providing modest funding to faculty and students (graduate and undergraduate) for summer projects. The goal of this program is to strengthen collaboration among researchers focused on resilience in Jamaica Bay, but also between researchers partnering with public agencies and stakeholders. Check our homepage.
Finally, new data from our observing systems captured winter storm conditions in Jamaica Bay. As more of this data becomes available, we are spearheading new initiatives to make information publicly accessible from an easy to use interface. These tools will further support coordination of projects, both research and management, and bolster discussion among various workshops, forums, and meetings – of which there is no shortage.
Enjoy the spring conditions in the Bay!
