Oceanic Global in partnership with the National Park Service got their hands dirty at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge on Friday, October 19th. We were removing invasive mugwort to make room for students to plant local pollinating species in support of our native wildlife and to preserve our coastline!
The Wildlife Refuge will be working with students to plant native grasses including goldenrod, blue stems and switch grass to restore meadow-type areas, but for the restoration to be effective, it is crucial to remove the invasive species first! Oceanic was able to help with that critical first step and pave the way for future restoration work at the wildlife refuge.
The Wildlife Refuge has already planted many cedar trees, which allow sunlight to reach the understory. They are creating a meadow ecosystem in which wildflowers and other pollinating plants will be able to thrive, supporting our endangered bees & butterflies. Additionally, by supporting native plants we will be restoring ecosystem health and making the region more effective at buffering storms as they hit the coast, also preventing erosion, which negatively impacts marine systems.
