Sunnyside's Dan Hendrick is making a film about Jamaica Bay's environmental history and future

Image source: A. Drauglis Furnituremaker on Flickr

Jamaica Bay is a 39-square-mile area in Queens that’s home to one of the most significant bird sanctuaries in the Northeast (the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge), but most New Yorkers have barely heard of it, let alone been there (besides flying into JFK Airport or passing by on the way to Rockaway Beach). Dan Hendrick wants to change that with his film Jamaica Bay Lives, which will detail the rich history of the bay, the current issues surrounding it, and the potential it holds.

Over the past two centuries, the area has been used for fish-oil and horse-rendering factories, landfills, and sewage treatment plants, as well as harvesting oysters. It is now the home of over 330 bird species, over 60 species of butterflies, and one of the largest populations of horseshoe crabs in the Northeast. The film will delve into all of these themes, and get us interested in what’s next for Jamaica Bay.

Hendrick, a Sunnyside resident who is married to local Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, is currently raising funds through Ioby (where you can donate to the project) to produce, edit, and package the film trailer so that the story of Jamaica Bay can reach more New Yorkers. A sunset cruise fundraiser on the bay was scheduled for September 8, but was canceled due to the nearby tornado.