Jamaica Bay in winter: cold but well worth it

Bundle up for winter walks and talks on Jamaica Bay

Posted: Wednesday, December 31, 2014 10:30 am | Updated: 1:03 pm, Wed Dec 31, 2014.

by Domenick Rafter, qboro contributor | 0 comments

It’s winter, and you know what that means. Time to lace up the boots and go outside and enjoy the fresh brisk air.

No, seriously. Winter doesn’t have to be a time where you come down with cabin fever. You can enjoy the outdoors. And you can do it without leaving Queens.

The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, one of the borough’s most popular outdoor destinations in warmer months, is inviting folks to come experience the cold-weather season on the shore.

In past years, frigid cold temperatures and excessive snow probably kept you inside. If so, then you badly missed out. There was fun to be had on the shores of Jamaica Bay.

Granted, most of the events happening at the wildlife refuge this winter are inside, notably the center’s “Perspective” series — several talks on winter Sundays dealing with the history, geology and ecology of the bay, but visitors are invited to head outdoors to experience what they learn at the talks for themselves. Weather permitting, the trails that encircle West Pond are open.

Wildlife may be less abundant than other times of the year, but you may see resident shorebirds such as sanderlings and dunlins, as well as Brant geese or even snowy owls. And with the trees and foliage barren, you can catch some glorious sunrises and sunsets and vistas of Manhattan and the Verrazano Bridge, or do some planespotting with the air traffic coming into and out of JFK Airport.

“You’ve got beautiful views on a clear day of the Manhattan skyline,” said Don Riepe of Broad Channel, a bay expert and president of the Northeast Chapter of the American Littoral Society. “There are about five miles of trails you can take through the refuge. It’s good in all seasons, it’s just different.”

The Littoral Society will host its annual New Year’s walk starting at 11 a.m. Jan. 1 at Fort Tilden in Rockaway. Participants will meet near the entrance, and after the walk, they’ll enjoy free coffee, cookies and champagne at the Rockaway Artists Alliance building there. For more information, contact Riepe at (718) 474-0896 ordonriepe@gmail.com.

The first “Perspective” talk will be held Jan. 11 at 2 p.m. at the wildlife refuge center on Cross Bay Boulevard in Broad Channel. Hanem Abouelezz, a biologist and naturalist with Gateway National Recreation Area, will discuss the various species of wildlife that live in the bay and how the efforts to monitor these species have influenced their protection. On Jan. 18 at 2 p.m., the talk will focus on the changing water quality and environment, and the threats that are still being thrust upon the bay. On Jan. 25, the topics will be loss of salt marsh, shoreline changes and the effects of restoration. On Feb. 1, Dan Hendrick, author, historian and filmmaker, will provide a pictorial overview of the bay showing pictures and images he gathered for his book, “Jamaica Bay.” On Feb. 8 at 2 p.m., terrapins will be the subject, with the audience brought up to date on the ongoing study of the turtles and the situation at JFK Airport, where nesting terrapins have created havoc for air traffic several times in the last few years.

For more information on these events, call (718) 318-4340 or visit nps.gov/gate/planyourvisit .

For those who want to take a stroll but may have missed the New Year’s Day event, there are more coming up. On Sunday, Jan. 18, again at Fort Tilden, you can join naturalist Mickey Maxwell Cohen of the American Littoral Society for a 1.5-mile “backwoods” walk of one of the city’s few untouched lands. During the two-hour tour, which begins at 10 a.m., hikers can take a peek at winter wildlife and explore the historic World War II fortification where German U-boats lurking just offshore were spotted.

On Saturday, Feb. 7, join the American Littoral Society again for the Winter Survival Wildlife Walk at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. The 2-mile hike will feature a slide presentation and a walk to see winter birds and wildlife. To make reservations and for more information, contact Riepe.

Children can also take a winter survival hike of their own. A walk for junior rangers, children from ages 7 through 11, will be held during winter break, Feb. 16 through 19, from 2-3 p.m. at the wildlife refuge. Seenps.gov/gate/planyourvisit  for details.

If the lack of animals has you down, your kids can try playing the harp. Yes, as in the instrument. Harpist Mia Theodoratus will bring a variety of instruments, including a pedal harp, a Celtic harp, an electric harp, for kids to check out on Sunday, Feb. 22 from 3 to 4 p.m. There will also be a performance at the end of the event.

The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge is open Wednesdays through Sundays, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk, so check it out, in the snow, or in the sun.