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“
The good news is that we can save most of these species,
but we have to pay attention and leave some habitat intact;
we can’t convert the entire surface of the Earth to farm[land]
or cities and remain unscathed.
”
—Joel Sartore, a National Geographic photographer and founder of the Photo Ark project
Quoted in Mary Bowerman, “Half the World’s Species Could Go Extinct and You’re Part of the Problem,”
USA Today
, May 19, 2017.
JFK International Airport in New York City is one of the busiest
airports in the world. Originally known as Idlewild Airport, the
sprawling facility covers nearly 5,000 acres (2,023 ha) of land—
but it was not always land. In the early twentieth century, the
coastal lagoon Jamaica Bay and its wetlands and salt marshes
covered much of the area. In order for construction on the new
airport to begin, about 4,500 acres (1821 ha) of wetlands had to
be filled in with earthen material. Back then, these swampy areas
were not believed to be important. Scientists did not yet know
that wetlands serve as habitats for innumerable species of wild-
life, help improve water quality, and perform other vital functions.
They were dismissed as useless obstacles that could only have
value if they were drained and filled to accommodate develop-
ment. So in the spring of 1942, much of Jamaica Bay’s wetlands
were filled in and the airport was built on top of them.
Many years passed before scientists learned about the im-
mense value of wetlands, and they regretted that an irreplaceable
Conservation-Minded
Development
CHAPTER THREE
