Mau Mau Island Explained

Mau Mau Island, also called White Island,^[1] is a small uninhabited island in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, located between Gerritsen Creek and Mill Creek in the Marine Park recreation area.^[2] Historically, the area around Mau Mau Island was a salt marsh with shifting topography. The island came into existence permanently sometime after 1917,^[3] and most likely formed in 1934 as dumping led to the current shoreline.^[4]

The area was uninhabited by European settlers until the late 1700s, when a mill and bridge were built. It was donated to the City of New York in the early 1930s, along with much of Marine Park, by Alfred Tredway White and Frederic Pratt with the requirement that it become parkland.^{[5] [6]}

In the 1930s, sand excavated during construction of the Belt Parkway was added to the island. Subsequently, patches of asphalt were laid on top to prevent the sand from blowing onto the nearby Marine Park Golf Course.^[7]

In 2011, the New York City Parks Department began a restoration project on the island, with the goal of restoring salt marsh and bird habitat.^[8]

References

40.5971°N -73.9181°W

Notes and References

1. News: Chaudhury. Nadia. Sailing the High Seas of Brooklyn with Swimming Cities. September 17, 2013. The L Magazine. July 26, 2011.
2. Web site: [{{GNIS 3|2573740}} Mau Mau Island ]. . . September 17, 2013.
3. According to, "[T]here was no island in the creek in 1917."
4. 213.
5. Book: Sharon. Seitz. Stuart. Miller. Other Islands of New York City. 2011. Countryman Press. 978-1581578867. 310.
6. Web site: H. Arthur . Bankoff . Christopher . Ricciardi . Alyssa . Loorya . January 1998 . Gerritsen's Creek: 1997 Archaeological Field Excavations . August 7, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131029203450/http://nytelecom.vo.llnwd.net/o15/agencies/lpc/arch_reports/870.pdf . October 29, 2013 .
7. News: Sullivan. Robert. The Concrete Jungle. October 24, 2013. New York. September 10, 2010.
8. Web site: Restoration Sites : Natural Resources Group : New York City Department of Parks & Recreation . September 17, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131016141153/http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_about/parks_divisions/nrg/nrg_rest_prior.html . October 16, 2013 .