-
Benefits of Native Plants
With warmer months finally settling in and more time spent at home, many of us have been planting. Have you considered native plants when making your choices? In the past, beautiful and hearty native plant options, especially Long Island species, were not readily available but that has changed. There are numerous benefits to having these species in your garden. : Native plant species attract and support native birds, pollinators and other wildlife. Douglas Tallamy, University of Delaware Professor, points out in his now infamous Bringing Nature Home, that a native oak tree can support 500 species of butterflies and moths. The caterpillars of these insects in turn provide a large volume of food for hungry chicks. Just think about it: a single nest of recently hatched chickadees will gobble up 6,000 to 9,000 caterpillars while under their parents’ care. The juicy caterpillars (and many of the insects native plants support) are easy for adults to shove into nestlings mouths. It’s no wonder nearly all (call it 96%) terrestrial bird species depend on caterpillars as a major food source while nesting. And speaking of food for wildlife, an important part of garden maintenance is not removing seed heads on plants in fall/winter. They provide further sustenance for wildlife throughout the colder months until spring arrives. In addition to food, native plant species provide many more of the shelter resources our wildlife requires than non-natives. Long Island’s warm-season grasses, for example, often grow in bunches, leaving open areas among them so that ground-nesting birds can escape from predators. Conversely, non-native species can cause harm. Note the heartbreaking effect of invasive black swallow-wort and pale swallow-wort on the Monarch butterfly. It is well known that Monarch butterfly eggs will hatch only from milkweed plants. When these butterflies instead lay eggs on swallow-wort, which are in the milkweed family (Asclepiadaceae) but native to Europe, the caterpillars will not eat them which results in wasted reproduction attempts that can cause a sink in Monarch populations. Swallow-wort can also outcompete the native milkweed. Planting natives in turn supports greater biodiversity and abundance of native wildlife. When buying, look for straight species (non-cultivars – missing the “name in quotes” following the species name). While some cultivars are bred for traits in ways that result in plants almost identical to the straight species (from a pollinator benefit perspective), many do not have the nutritional value non-cultivars do and some are even toxic to wildlife. Native species also tend to require less maintenance than their non-native counterparts. Once established, native plants generally do not need regular (if any) watering. Natives do not rely on use of fertilizers and pesticides to thrive. A reduction in phosphorus and nitrogen found in fertilizers means less algae-producing runoff into our waterbodies. Native plants, in addition, do not require mowing as lawns do. Substituting native plants for part of your lawn, then, will yield more food and shelter for wildlife while decreasing water use and contamination of our water resources. And if it’s only the bottom line that counts (though we know that for readers of Conservation News this is not the case!), keep in mind that maintaining a wetland or native grassland costs a fraction (about 15% over 20 years, according to one study by Applied Ecological Services) of lawn maintenance costs.
Continue reading -
Roosevelt Community Garden Impact
Now entering our third year, The Roosevelt Community Garden kicked-off the growing season on April 22nd (Earth Day) with an annual clean up of the garden and distribution of plants and seeds to gardeners to start their gardening. This year, we are pleased to continue our partnership with the Roosevelt Public Library and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County to provide garden workshops and hands-on demonstrations to help gardeners and members of the community to succeed at growing food. The Land Alliance also remains grateful to Nassau County for their work to build the garden and create more access for community members to grow their own organic food. Healthy, local food enhances not only gardeners’ quality of life, but also their community environment. A series of educational workshops were scheduled for early spring, but due to the COVID 19 pandemic, these activities were postponed. For more information about the Garden, please visit us online at www.northshorelandalliance.org/rcg. 2020 Earth Day Event and Annual Clean up Earth Day 2020 Earth Day 2020 Earth Day 2020 Testimonials “The Garden is a superior community asset. Please continue your good work.” ~Daphne Adedeji/Gardener “I love the community garden, it helps me find calmness and feel connected to the earth especially during these challenging times when we are in the midst of a pandemic. It’s nice to see others in the community. Everyone sharing and learning about gardening is a healthy way to connect with others and building lasting friendships. ~ April Diane/Gardener “One of the best reasons to have a garden is to teach children where food comes from. How it’s supposed to look and taste. We have loved our experience with this community garden and we’re looking forward to many more years!” ~ Julia Schilling/Gardener “The Roosevelt Community Garden is a great addition to the community.” ~ Silinda Hickson/Community Member “I had a wonderful experience as a first-timer. I learned a lot and members were very helpful throughout the growing season. Thumbs up!” ~ Dimas Rodriguez/Garden Member “I truly believe that this project will help to usher in much-needed transformation and economic revitalization to our community. …We may be facing some hyper-inflation as indicated by the increased prices for goods and the community garden may be a means to protect vulnerable populations such as the elderly, homeless and orphans in Roosevelt by setting aside a portion of the harvest from the garden to donate to these vulnerable people.” ~ Michelle Avery/Community Member Children getting Involved at the Garden Ulysses Byas Elementary School Student planting at the Garden New Bookshelve stacked with book from the Book Fairies. Garden members passing on their knowledge Onsite Garden Manager Keno Williams working with kids C’Anna Millwood Volunteer Peter Meleady and Roosevelt Middle School Student Annual Presentation at the Roosevelt Public Library with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County CCE of Nassau County presentation
Continue reading -
Richard Weir and Peter Meleady
The North Shore Land Alliance would like to thank the many active volunteers who contribute their time and energy to help us accomplish our land conservation mission. These individuals spend time in our preserves and, assist with community outreach events and office needs. In this issue of Conservation News, we would like to highlight two volunteers who have provided extraordinary services this spring (and over time). Richard Weir trained at Cornell University, spent his career with the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Nassau County. He currently serves on the Land Alliance’s advisory board and stewardship committee. Richard was most generous to share his expertise and hard work ethic this past March when he offered the stewardship team sage counsel on how to prune the very large round of yew hedge at Wawapek in Cold Spring Harbor. Richard offered much more than pruning advice spending nine hours over the course of two days with chain saw in hand to cut the yew hedge to the appropriate height. He was also instrumental in removing decades of wisteria vine growth from the base of the yew hedge, making the job that much tougher! Richard worked non-stop the entire time and inspired Land Alliance staff with his dedication to preserving the central element of this historic garden. Thank you for all your hard work, Richard! Since joining our volunteer corps earlier this year, Peter Meleady has made a real difference. An expert horticulturist, Peter has been involved with many invasive plant removals and pruning projects at Shore Road Sanctuary and has reinvigorated the trumpet honeysuckle trellis and blueberry bushes at Wawapek. He is also involved with projects and educational programming at the Roosevelt Community Garden and our Humes Japanese Stroll Garden manager looks forward to his assistance there, too. Peter often going to preserves after work or early in the weekends before he leaves to spend time with his family, shows dedication and knowledge that have resulted in a much-improved landscape. Thank you for your commitment and many contributions to the Land Alliance, Peter!
Continue reading -
Volunteers Give a Hand at our Preserves
Hope Goddard Iselin Preserve (Iselin), Upper Brookville: 23 volunteers came out in sub-twenty-degree temperatures to remove invasive vines and shrubs close to the interpretive trail. This Martin Luther King (MLK) Day of Service event helped with not only clearing invasive vegetation but also creating brush pile habitat for wildlife. Special thanks to the many volunteers, including the Jericho High School Environmental Club, who joined us! The MLK Day of Service is a federally designated holiday to promote and encourage all Americans to improve their communities and to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. Students from Professor Michael Veracka’s HOR 340, The Sustainable Garden, at SUNY Farmingdale visited Iselin multiple times during the fall. The goal of the course was to learn about actual environmental management at local preserves. This unique class combined traditional classroom learning with field visits to the preserve. Students conducted hands-on assessments and developed management proposals for optimizing habitat at the meadow. Their last visit to the preserve incorporated a formal presentation of their plans in front of a review panel. The panel consisted of Land Alliance staff, Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District’s Secretary Pat Aitken and District Manager David Ganim. The Land Alliance thanks Professor Veracka for including us in this worthwhile endeavor and applauds his class for their innovative and practical management suggestions. Shore Road Sanctuary, Cold Spring Harbor: 12 volunteers braved inclement weather to partake in a beach cleanup and habitat restoration project that resulted in the removal of over 500 pounds of trash from the shoreline of the Long Island Sound. Trash collected included fishing line, foam, plastics and metal pipes. Volunteers then helped install plastic tarp to discourage invasive crown vetch in an area of the Sanctuary’s grassland. Many thanks to this stalwart crew. Humes Preserve, Mill Neck: The Land Alliance partnered with REI for their annual #OptOutside Day, a nationwide cleanup event held on Black Friday to encourage consumers to give back to the environment and their community and spend the day outside instead of shopping. Volunteers helped remove trash from the Humes meadow (which is undergoing restoration). Volunteers also helped in the removal of invasive garlic mustard and Chinese silvergrass. Overall, the 50 volunteers collected over 1,000 pounds of trash from the meadow. We thank everyone for their hard work and enthusiasm! Humes Japanese Stroll Garden, Mill Neck: Under the expert guidance of Stroll Garden Manager Mary Schmutz, we hosted a four-part series of volunteer events to help manage bamboo. 12 volunteers, using loppers and hand saws, selectively pruned bamboo to create healthier groves. Thank you Stroll Garden volunteers for your help during the Stroll Garden off-season! If you are interested in volunteering, please contact us at 516-922-1028 or [email protected].
Continue reading -
Reflections from a Long Island Water Education Teacher
Since 2014, the North Shore Land Alliance has been visiting my West Side School sixth-grade science classes in Laurel Hollow to teach about the effects of pollution on Long Island’s aquifer. I have been teaching for over 30 years, and this workshop/field trip is by far my favorite! Two classroom workshops are held by Karen Mossey from the Long Island Water Education Program, in preparation for the field trip to the Shore Road Sanctuary. Through hands-on inquiry, Ms. Mossey engages the students to think about the amount of drinking water that is on Earth, which leads them to question about our drinking water here on Long Island. Ms. Mossey brings in supplies so the students can build their own aquifers, which allows them to visualize the different layers of Long Island’s Magothy aquifer. The kids are always amazed to discover that we rely on water that comes from an aquifer and how important it is to keep it clean. The hands-on field trip to the Land Alliance’s preserve in Cold Spring Harbor connects what the kids learned during Ms. Mossey’s classroom visits and their own world. My students are always delighted to discover the grassland, shoreline and life buried in the sand and under the rocks, while testing water quality and soil permeability. Every year one of the highlights is discovering the abundance of the Asian Shore Crab species, first found on the North American Atlantic coast in 1988, and the impact invasive species have on our ecosystems. The students love to find mussels, (especially after learning that just one consumes four gallons of water every day), and blue-blooded horseshoe crabs that have been inhabiting our shorelines for over 450 million years. Volunteer educators explain that each day, litter finds its way to our shores. This program has truly impacted my students over the years – they leave the experience always wanting to educate others. Since its inception, the LIWEP has reached 7,708 students in 25 schools in 14 school districts from north to south. This impact would not have been possible without dedicated funding from the Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation, the Merrilyn Foundation, the Rauch Foundation and the Weyerhaeuser Family Foundation.
Continue reading