Project by Samantha Nowak, Mason Rape, Miguel Santivanez, Daniela Monroy
Marshkeeperland reimagines the coastal landscape from Babylon to Robert Moses State Park through the historic marsh habitats that once shaped Long Island’s edge. The project envisions inclusionary coastal landscapes where access to water, opportunities for environmental stewardship, and a renewed sense of community identity come together. Understanding the marsh as both social and resilient infrastructure, the design creates spaces that bring people together while restoring natural systems that filter stormwater and reduce coastal flood risks. Guided by the principles of access, rewilding, living with water, and cultivating a unique identity, the proposal weaves tidal paths and adaptive habitats into a unified coastal fabric. Water becomes a familiar presence. Moving through new tidal channels and shaping boardwalks that reveal the shifting rhythms of the Great South Bay. The project offers a way of living with the coast that honors the past, embraces change, and supports a community rooted in care.
