The Land Alliance was awarded two grants totaling $80,000 from the New York State Conservation Partnership Program (NYSCPP), funded through the Environmental Protection Fund. The Land Alliance was one of 55 land trusts in New York State to receive funding through the program this year and will use the grants to expand its Long Island Water Education Program for local elementary schools and for costs associated with the acquisition of the 28-acre Humes property in Mill Neck.

$40,000 Conservation Catalyst Grant – Our Water Education Program was launched on a trial basis this past October in local elementary schools in the Towns of Huntington and Oyster Bay. The goal of the program is to teach students about their groundwater – its value and its vulnerability and other water resources. Land Alliance Stewardship Director Jane Jackson, Educator Karen Mossey and volunteers Anne Codey and Eileen Rossi designed a series of interactive lessons to introduce students to Long Island’s aquifer, watersheds and surface waters in ways that will enable them to understand not only what they are and how they function, but how they are threatened. ”Through this program our students come to understand that conserving natural areas above our drinking water supply and alongside the streams and bays vital to people and wildlife alike helps to protect the quality and quantity of these resources.” said Jane Jackson.

The Land Alliance has played a critical role in educating adults about water quality issues and their impact on both drinking water and aquatic habitat. By expanding the Water Education Program to educate our youth about these issues, the organization hopes to help shape a generation of environmentally conscious individuals who will take an active role in preserving land and safeguarding our resources.

$40,000 Land Acquisition Grant – Earlier this year, the Land Alliance entered into a contract to purchase the 28-acre Humes property in Mill Neck. Proceeds from this grant will be used for costs associated with this acquisition. Protecting this environmentally significant piece of land, which adjoins Shu Swamp Nature Preserve and the Francis Pond conservation areas, will complete one of the most important wetland and open space corridors on the north shore of Long Island. The three properties will total over 120 acres of preserved open space that contain critical bird habitat, designated by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and a number of unusual species.