ROCKAWAYS RISING

The Rockaway Waterfront Alliance (RWA) is offering workshops in resiliency and rebuilding to the Rockaway community. The first, held January 20, focused on "Urban Ecology in the Face of Natural Disasters" and provided useful information on how to rebuild and protect the peninsula from future storms. Featuring a panel of experts including Jennifer Bolstad and Walter Meyer (local landscape architects), Dr. Klaus Jacob (Columbia University Lamont-Doherty Earth Institute), Arjan Braamskamp (Consulate General of the Netherlands) and Ron Shiffman (Pratt Center for Community Development), the event also offered a public forum in which to connect and discuss how the Rockaway community can work together to put plans in action. "There was a good mix of residents, elected representatives, agency representatives and corporate representatives," said Jeanne DuPont, RWA Executive Director. She said a number of groups from outside the Rockaways have come to help and are looking for funding. "There is interest in collaboration," she said, "but because there are so many interests in Rockaway, I think this will be a great challenge."

A presentation on "Protecting Our Homes; Lessons from New Orleans in Affordable Housing" was held February 3. RWA plans to continue to foster a dialogue about environmental resiliency within the Rockaway community and beyond. To learn about future workshops, sign up for RWA's mailing list at www.rwalliance.org.