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Long Island Clean Water Symposium: Global Challenges and Local Solutions Conference
Long Island Clean Water Symposium: Global Challenges and Local Solutions Conference Featuring David Sedlak Long Islanders know about the importance of having clean water. Living above a sole source aquifer, we are aware of how essential this resource is for our health, recreational needs and local economy. Understandably, local citizens and researchers have good reason to be concerned about the quality of the water on the island. Thankfully, there are a variety of solutions that will help to meet these challenges. On May 16th, with solutions in mind, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, North Shore Land Alliance and The Nature Conservancy co-hosted the Long Island Clean Water Symposium: Global Challenges and Local Solutions conference at Long Island University in Greenvale. The event was attended by over 100 people. It brought together leaders in the field of water science to discuss water quality and quantity challenges on Long Island. The keynote speaker, David Sedlak, a professor at UC Berkeley, is the author of the books Water 4.0 and Water for All. Dr. Sedlak, an Oyster Bay native, addressed global water issues and the innovative ways cities around the world are using cutting edge solutions to address drought and climate change. Methods include water reuse, net zero design and other sustainable approaches. Other prominent speakers included Adrienne Esposito 22 from Citizens Campaign for the Environment, who discussed drinking water quality. She highlighted the success of efforts to ban 1,4 dioxane in New York State and the need for more work to be done around the elimination of PFAs (also known as “forever chemicals”) in Long Island’s water supply. Dr. Chris Gobler from Stony Brook University made a State of the Bays 2024 presentation focused on his research related to surface water quality and harmful algae blooms. Dr. Gobler demonstrated that excessive nitrogen loading from wastewater is an ongoing threat to coastal ecosystems and human health across Long Island. It is a problem made worse by climate change. He highlighted the importance of upgrading septic systems and cultivating shellfish and kelp to improve water quality. A robust panel discussion ensued focusing on additional solutions that both municipalities and homeowners can use in their roles as decision makers and stewards. The panel included the following members and topics: Brian Schneider, a Program Development Specialist at the U.S. Geological Survey, provided a snapshot of recent aquifer studies conducted by the USGS which will be released Saving Land – Spring/Summer Newsletter 2024later this month. Preliminary findings suggest that our Lloyd Aquifer may be more vulnerable than previously thought. Stay tuned for more information on the health of our sole source aquifer. Lisa Ott, President and CEO at North Shore Land Alliance, explained the important relationship between conserving land and protecting the quality and quantity of local waters. She reviewed basic information about local watersheds and State-designated Special Groundwater Protection Areas. She also encouraged greater advocacy efforts to protect land and water. Rusty Schmidt, a landscape architect from Nelson Pope and Voorhis, provided examples of how rain gardens can capture, treat and infiltrate stormwater runoff to reduce pollution and flooding. They can also be beautiful and add to the attractiveness of a neighborhood. Nancy Seligson, the former Town Supervisor for the Town of Mamaroneck, spoke about steps that local governments can take to address the protection of this essential natural resource. She also shared examples of projects undertaken in Mamaroneck to increase sustainability. Thomas Murphy, the Building Inspector for East Hills, talked about actions his Village has taken to mandate Innovative/Alternative (I/A) septic systems for new construction and major renovations. They have also simplified the permitting process to encourage community members to take part in the program. Derek Betts, District Manager for the Nassau County Soil & Water Conservation District, talked about managing the Septic Environmental Program to Improve Cleanliness (S.E.P.T.I.C.) that provides up to $20,000 to homeowners who are interested in replacing their septic systems. Justin Jobin, Environmental Scientist at Coastal Wastewater Solutions, discussed the success of the S.E.P.T.I.C. that has upgraded over 120 systems throughout Nassau County, along with lessons learned from designing the Suffolk County program. Jennifer Juengst, the Deputy County Executive for Suffolk County, provided an update on the Water Quality Restoration Act bill that will help fund future clean water projects in Suffolk County. If passed by the Governor and approved in the upcoming elections, this bill will provide billions for clean water programs in Long Island. Patti Wood from Grassroots outlined other solutions for homeowners to help conserve water, through measures such as using fertilizers containing less nitrogen, and discussed the success of a recent measure banning artificial turf grass. The Long Island Clean Water Symposium was a successful event that was both educational and action-oriented, providing tools for local citizens and officials to keep Long Island’s water safe for the future.
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The Why’s and How To’s of Land Conservation Featuring Ellen Fred
The Why’s and How To’s of Land Conservation Featuring Ellen Fred On Thursday, April 18, 2024, North Shore Land Alliance hosted two seminars about conservation easements featuring Ellen Fred, a nationally recognized legal expert and Principal with Conservation Partners LLP. She has been a frequent presenter on myriad conservation law topics since 2004, including for the Land Trust Alliance and the California Council of Land Trusts. The morning lecture featured in-depth overviews of conservation easements, drafting and negotiating easement agreements, appraisals/valuations and easement stewardship. Attendees included lawyers, accountants, appraisers, wealth managers, village officials, realtors and landowners. Each component of Ellen’s lecture offered professionals, useful background and insight. CLE credits were offered to lawyers and accountants. The afternoon session, which took place at the Land Alliance office, featured a more intimate roundtable discussion for landowners who were interested in an overview of the easement process and the potential tax advantages available for easement donors. This event showcased the Land Alliance’s commitment to engaging the community in the various elements of land conservation. A cohesive and informed team of professionals, working with interested landowners and a qualified conservation organization, creates a formula for conservation success. Many thanks to all who attended. For more information about conservation easements and the process involved, please contact the Land Alliance at 516-922-1028 or info@northshorelandalliance.org. We will be happy to share Ellen’s presentation with you.
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Tree and Shrub Pruning Workshop with Horticulturist Richard Weir
Tree and Shrub Pruning Workshop with Horticulturist Richard Weir On March 21, 2024, North Shore Land Alliance hosted a workshop for volunteers and homeowners about how to properly prune trees and shrubs. This workshop was led by Richard Weir III, who prior to retirement was the program manager for horticultural and environmental issues for Cornell Cooperative Extension in Nassau County. Richard led the group on a walk around the Humes Preserve, highlighting different tree/shrub species and explaining the whats, whens, wheres, whys and hows associated with pruning. In Richard’s book, Pruning: An Illustrated Guide to Pruning Ornamental Trees and Shrubs, he states that, “Pruning should be viewed as a regular part of a maintenance schedule rather than as a remedial correction of long-neglected problems.” The term pruning refers to the selective removal of plant parts (branches, shoots, etc.) for a reason. Good reasons include maintaining the health of the plant, preventing injury from dead or dying limbs and controlling the size of the plant or maintaining a certain shape. The type of 26 pruning and species you are pruning will determine when it should be done. Here are some basic pruning rules that are helpful for everyone to know. Maintenance Pruning, which is pruning plants in a selective manner to keep shrubs and trees in scale with their surroundings and healthy, should be done in March or April before the plant starts to bud. The plant is still dormant at that time and will heal itself quickly once the spring growth starts. It is important to determine branch configuration/ structure before the leaves come out. You can also prune in late June/July, a time when the major amount of new growth is completed. Rejuvenation pruning, which is harsh and done on overgrown shrubs, must be done in late winter/early spring. Dead or diseased limbs can be removed at any time. Saving Land – Spring/Summer Newsletter 2024When you are cutting back branches, it is important to cut back to a node. A node is the point on the stem or branch where the buds or branching twigs originate. Cutting back a branch to just above the node is important to prevent that section of the branch from dying. The other buds coming from that node will continue to grow into new branches. If a branch is clipped below the node, you leave an internode section that will die and therefore can’t form new buds. Proper pruning requires proper pruning equipment. You will need a sharp pair of bypass hand pruners, a pruning saw and long handled loppers. Richard also recommends a pole pruner for hard-to-reach branches. The choice of tool will be dictated by the part of the plant you are pruning. If it is new growth or thin branches, hand pruners should suffice. If you are working on larger branches, loppers or a pruning saw will be more effective. It is important to remember to clean all of your tool blades with rubbing alcohol after each use to prevent diseases from being transferred from plant to plant. Richard’s advice to homeowners is, “Don’t be hesitant to try pruning your landscape plants, as most of them are very forgiving (even if you make a mistake)”. If you are looking for more information about how to prune your ornamental shrubs, Pruning: An Illustrated Guide to Pruning Ornamental Trees and Shrubs written by Donald A. Rakow and Richard Weir III is available online at www.ccelivingstoncounty.org/ resources/guide-to-pruning-ornamental-trees-shrubs. #gallery-2 { margin: auto; } #gallery-2 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 100%; } #gallery-2 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-2 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
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How Can We Help the Bees? Lecture Featuring Dr. Kate Lecroy of Cornell University
How Can We Help the Bee Lecture Featuring Dr. Kate Lecroy of Cornell University Did you know that there are more than 20,000 bee species in the world? Of those, 450 species are native to New York State, and they come in all shapes, sizes and colors. There is still so much that we don’t know about bees. Many are smaller than a grain of rice and almost 10% of bees in America are yet to be described. Despite the diversity, every bee has the same job – pollination! Native bees play a huge role in our ecosystem, pollinating almost 80% of flowering plants around the world. Based on a study by the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, many important, high-value crops are dependent on bees for successful production. Some of these crops include apples ($250M/year), squash and pumpkin ($74M/year), tomatoes ($47M/year), strawberries ($7M/year), cherries ($3M/year) and pears ($2.5M/year). Unfortunately, many of our native bees are in decline. In a recent Land Alliance guest lecture by bee expert Dr. Kathryn Lecroy, we learned that more than 50% of 34 North American native bee species are in decline and nearly one in four are at an increasing risk of extinction. Why are these bees in decline? According to Dr. Lecroy, most bees are threatened by agricultural intensification, habitat destruction, overuse of pesticides, climate change, urbanization and predation by nonnative bees. Dr. Lecroy has also found that non-native bees outcompete native bees in developed areas, while native bees thrive in open spaces. There are so many things we can do to help native bees thrive in our own back yards. Most importantly, we can support bee communities by providing habitat. Some of the best practices suggested by the Empire State Native Pollinator Survey include: Reduce pesticide and herbicide use. Control invasive plants and maintain native species. Aim to plant species that bloom year round to provide a long-term food source. Mow your yard less and cut at the tallest setting. Preserve bee habitat by letting native flowering grasses bloom longer. Minimize outdoor lighting as it can disrupt foraging behaviors of bees. Leave coarse woody materials on your property for nesting habitat. Bees are in serious trouble. Native bees are indispensable to the health of the natural world and are perilously under protected. Let’s start helping bees by making small changes in our yard because, without these tiny, tireless creatures our world would be a dreary and impoverished place. #gallery-3 { margin: auto; } #gallery-3 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 100%; } #gallery-3 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-3 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
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Climate Change Conversation
On Wednesday, October 17, 2018, the Land Alliance, in partnership with the North Country Garden Club, hosted an informative, non-partisan and balanced lecture about climate change. We…
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