Last week Ridgefield Park students in Grades 6-8 launched Artificial Floating Islands (AFI) that help the environment in the tidal impoundment at DeKorte Park. The event was the culmination of a month-long project in which Meadowlands Environment Center educations and NJSEA parks staff helped guide the studends in constructing AFIs with native vegetation.

About Artificial Floating Islands:

AFIS are human-made floating structures capable of supporting aquatic vegetation. In the last decade, many European countries and the United States have widely recognized AFIs as a successful tool for habitat restoration. These AFIs create near-shore mini ecosystems on the water without occupying any shoreline space. Because AFIs use floating platforms to support vegetation, they can move up and down with fluctuating water levels. They can be mobile (non-anchored) or anchored (they are anchored at DeKorte), depending on the different types of water bodies (rivers, streams, ponds, lakes) they serve. AFIs serve various functions, such as water purification through absorption; habitat for fishes, birds, and other organisms; breaking waves; and landscape improvement.