Elliot Ma has childhood memories of often visiting Marine Park with his family as a kid, driving there in his dad’s old Toyota Sienna from their home in Bensonhurst. Now, he’s working to support the park and what it can offer to other families who visit.
Ma is the new program and communications manager at the Marine Park Alliance, a nonprofit that offers cultural, educational and environmental programming in both the main portion of Marine Park and the salt marsh across Avenue U. This makes him the second-ever, full-time employee of the alliance.
The Bay Ridge resident began working with the organization in early May and will be responsible for developing and facilitating new programs, running the social media accounts and applying for nonprofit funding grants.
“I’m really excited to get really into the meat of it,” Ma said in an interview. “It’s a beautiful park.”
As he settles into his role, Ma said one of his foremost goals is to increase the amount of science programming that the organization offers, thanks to his background in environmental science. He has a bachelor’s degree in marine biology and a master’s in ecology — both of which give him a unique insight into the park.
“You get to see some really special wildlife, and this is something that is very unique to Marine Park itself, just having this salt marsh attached to it,” he said. “I think I’m going to be basing a lot of upcoming programming around that salt marsh, around the animals that live in there, and try to get people involved in the stewardship of the marsh.”
Another goal is to get more local high school and college students involved in science and conservation opportunities at the park, which will look good on their resumes when applying to graduate programs or jobs in the field, something Ma said New York City is lacking.
In addition to increased science programming, Ma said he also wants to increase cultural and fitness programming, so there’s more activities for people in the area.
“I’m all for making just more: more events, more stuff at Marine Park, more free things for people to do,” he said. “It’s a beautiful park; it’s got a lot of space. It’d be amazing if it could be utilized more.”
To be able to finance and maintain “more,” it will also be in Ma’s wheelhouse to write grants to earn more funding, which would hopefully go toward even more staff members in the future.
The alliance’s executive director, Scott Middleton, told the Canarsie Courier that the team is excited to welcome Ma and have his help in expanding the organization’s footprint.
“Elliot understands how parks can inspire curiosity, creativity and stewardship,” Middleton said in a written statement. “We are excited for him to expand our capacity to serve Marine Park visitors through engaging, inclusive programming that celebrates both the ecological and cultural importance of this incredible public space.”
At the heart of his new role, Ma said, is prioritizing the park and the people who love it.
“I’m really here to help Marine Park grow,” he said.
Photo courtesy of Elliot Ma
