Movie Shows Restoration of Queens Garden Destroyed By Sandy

QUEENS, NY – The lush greenery that decorates a public garden in Far Rockaway has come a long way from the overgrown weeds that sprouted from the same soil after it was ravaged by Superstorm Sandy five years ago.

The garden is a symbol of resilience for the community, whose members came together to restore it in a years-long project. Their efforts are documented in a short film which premiered last weekend on the storm's anniversary.

The film, titled Hurricane Healing Gardens, centers on the project to restore the garden at the Beach 41st Street in Far Rockaway. It had been a thriving community-wide staple until its 30 plots were washed away by the storm's floods, which left only overgrown weeds in their wake.

"It's a short documentary that shares some of the stories – voices from gardeners, elected officials, researchers – about their experience during Sandy but also the importance of stewarding the land as part of their community recovery," Erika Svedsen, a research social scientist with the U.S. Forest Service, told Patch.

The film follows a team of social scientists with the U.S. Forest Service who, after the storm, arrived in Far Rockaway to see how they could use nature to help the community recover, Svedsen said. With much of the neighborhood's restoration efforts focused on houses, apartments and public park sites that were hit hardest, little energy or resources were left for the garden owned by the NYC Public Housing Authority, she said.