"Saving Jamaica Bay" Film to make TV DEBut

​Mark your calendar for the television debut of the documentary "Saving Jamaica Bay," which will air on two New York/New Jersey public television stations in February.

The documentary, which tells the story of how one community fought government inaction and overcame Hurricane Sandy to clean up and restore the largest open space in New York City, prominently features Don Riepe, Director of the Littoral Society's Northeast Chapter. Showings are scheduled for WNET Thirteen at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18 and  WLIW 21  at 9 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 26. Both stations are part of the WNET family of channels.

Hopes are the New York PBS premiers will lead to airings of the film at PBS stations around the US. WNET 13, which is one of the New York Media family of stations, airs in northern and central New Jersey, parts of Connecticut, and the greater New York City region.

The film explores Jamaica Bay, an 18,000-acre national park located on the southern edge of Queens and Brooklyn, which was used for years as a dumping ground for sewage, garbage, and chemicals and dead mobsters. However, the bay and surrounding park are also home to more than 300 species of birds, 100 species of finfish, 50 different kinds of butterfly, and a host of human residents living in communities such as Broad Channel, NY.

Riepe, a Broad Channel resident, is a prominent voice in the film because he is the Littoral Society's Jamaica Bay Guardian™ and has dedicated his life to protecting and restoring Jamaica Bay.

The American Littoral Society conducts many different kinds of work in and around Jamaica Bay, including marsh restoration, beach clean-ups, debris removal, and nature encounters. In addition, the Jamaica Bay Guardian Program focuses on education, community engagement, and advocacy around many of the problems addressed in the film.

The Littoral Society is a 501c3 non-profit based at Sandy Hook, NJ. The Society has been caring for the coast since 1961. If you value the work done by the Society, please consider becoming a member or making a donation.

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