Udalls Cove facts for kids

Udalls Cove is a special marshland and wetland area in Queens, New York City. It's located right off Little Neck Bay, between the neighborhoods of Douglaston and Little Neck. This beautiful spot is one of the last remaining salt marshes on the North Shore of Long Island. Another similar area is found nearby at Alley Pond Park.

For many years, local people and environmental groups have worked hard to protect Udalls Cove. They wanted to make sure these important marshlands and wetlands stayed natural. This helped prevent new buildings from being constructed there. Udalls Cove is a home for many different animals and plants. You can find birds like egrets and herons, along with muskrats. It also has lots of marine life and various types of plants. A very important person in saving Udalls Cove was Aurora Gareiss. She started the Udalls Cove Preservation Committee.

The marsh wetlands of Udalls Cove cover about 100 acres. It's a safe place for many birds and creatures that live underwater. It's also a popular spot for students who want to study nature. The cove includes a 15-acre long, narrow valley called a ravine. This ravine was formed a long, long time ago by a glacier during the Ice Age. It's about 200 feet wide and has fresh-water streams that flow into Udalls Cove.

Protecting Udalls Cove Wildlife

Udalls Cove is a vital place for many animals and plants. It's a salt marsh, which means it has a mix of fresh and salty water. These areas are incredibly important for nature.

Why Udalls Cove is So Important

According to John W. Kominski, a salt marsh like Udalls Cove is more than just a home for animals. He said it's "part of the complex biological system which insures human survival." This means that healthy salt marshes help keep our planet healthy too.

These unique marshlands provide a huge amount of nutrients. These nutrients support a wide variety of marine plants and animals. If we lose even a small part of a marsh, it can harm the fish and other sea creatures we rely on.

Aurora Gareiss, a key protector of the cove, said Udalls Cove was "still full of fish and wild life." She believed it must be saved from more building and harm. She called this marshland "part of the cradle of life," showing how important it is for new life to grow.

Robert C. Murphy also pointed out that only 65% of Long Island's salt marshes were left. He stressed that we couldn't let any more disappear.

Animals and Plants of the Marsh

Many different animals call Udalls Cove home. A teacher named William Brooks noted that the marsh feeds 20,000 ducks in Little Neck Bay. On a quiet afternoon, you might see egrets, herons, and Canada geese. You might also spot marsh wrens, pheasants, and possums.

Besides being a home for wildlife, the marshes of Udalls Cove also help protect the land. They act as a natural way to control erosion, which is when soil gets washed away. They also serve as a buffer, helping to reduce the impact of hurricanes and storms on the mainland.

Efforts to Preserve Udalls Cove

Many people have worked hard to save Udalls Cove. Young people in Queens have played a big part in understanding and sharing the importance of this natural area. They helped tell people in Douglaston and Great Neck Estates how urgent it was to save the marshland.

Early Preservation Actions

In 1970, the Urban Ecology Club at Louis Pasteur Junior High School helped spread the word. They handed out flyers explaining why the marshlands needed protection. These flyers highlighted that tidal marshes like Udalls Cove support 500 million pounds of the nation's food fish.

Another young person, 16-year-old Kevin Wolfe, helped raise money to buy land in the Great Neck Estates area. This land was important for the marsh. About 1,200 copies of articles and photographs were shared. These showed how important the marshes were and asked people to help save them.

Mrs. Aurora Gareiss, president of the Udalls Cove Preservation Committee, strongly believed in saving the cove. She said, "We believe this precious remaining cove, with its upland and marshes, its fresh water streams and its fine springs and wild life, should be saved in its natural state for our present and future generations."

Legal Steps for Protection

Attorney General Louis Lefkowitz supported new laws to protect wetlands. He suggested giving the State Departments of Environmental Conservation more power over wetlands. This would stop cities from filling or digging in these areas. He also proposed laws to prevent airports from expanding into wetlands. These laws would require state permits for any digging or filling in wetlands.

One big success happened in February 1971. A group of citizens from Douglaston marched with hundreds of supporters to the marshes of Udalls Cove. They managed to save 100 acres of the cove. This land was going to be turned into a golf course and parking lot, but their efforts stopped it.

In 1972, Queens Borough President Manes asked for a 30-acre "wetland park" to be created. This park would include Udalls Cove. He explained that this park would be a natural area, without ball fields or playgrounds. Its main purpose was to protect the last marshland in Queens outside of Jamaica Bay.

In August 1973, a report from the Tri-State Regional Planning Commission said that the ravine in Udalls Cove must be preserved. This was because it was important for keeping fresh water and nutrients flowing into Udalls Cove and Little Neck Bay. It also acts as a watershed for the Douglaston-Little Neck area.

Continued Efforts and Recognition

Aurora Gareiss continued her work, believing that a healthy environment is essential. She saw Udalls Cove as a place where fish, birds, and other animals reproduce. She also became a member of the Northeast Queens Historical and Preservation Commission. This group was set up in 1973 to protect wetlands and other natural resources in Queens North Shore.

Mayor Edward Koch signed an order to protect the Udalls Cove Wetlands. This order allowed the city to buy empty land near the cove to possibly use as a park. This was a big step in protecting the area. Environmental groups said this land was very important for saving the Udalls Cove ravine. The ravine was already protected by the 1973 Tidal Wetlands Act.

Aurora Gareiss also shared good news that the Udalls Cove Wildlife Sanctuary was continuing to acquire land. She and her committee worked with the State to make sure all necessary properties were bought. This would help keep the cove healthy and prevent any changes from construction or filling. They wanted to avoid pollution and harm to the cove and Little Neck Bay.