Gabriella Velardi-Ward worked for the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, Capital Projects, Architectural Design and Construction for 23 years. In 2012, she supervised construction in Midland Beach, Staten Island, NY. This project required cutting down a good portion of a forest which was right on the beach. In October of that year, Hurricane Sandy, a 15′ storm surge, hit Midland Beach and surrounding areas. 24+ people were killed in horrendous ways. Homes and other property were destroyed and mold was present for months. She was there before, during and after the storm and witnessed much of what happened.

Gabriella, could not help but think that if the forest had not been cut down, it would have acted as a buffer to the storm surge and not as many people, men, women, and children, would have died.

In 2017, she learned that the freshwater, forested wetland in the environmental justice community of Graniteville SI, which was 18 acres, had 1800 mature trees, 6 vernal pools, and was right across the street from three Environmental Justice communities, was going to be cut down and replaced by a BJ’s, a gas station, a parking lot for 835 cars and two additional buildings. Having had the experience of Hurricane Sandy, she could not let that happen again in this EJ Community and the mobile home community, of elderly, disabled and low income people, nearby. In June of 2017, The Coalition for Wetlands and Forests was born.

Photos of Midland Beach, Staten Island – Hurricane Sandy

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