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Conservation News
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New Composting Hub at the MacDonald Property
Continue readingComposting’s value in ameliorating climate change impacts and its public popularity couldn’t be more evident. But at the same time, composting programs’ budgets are being cut in New York City and Long Island alike. At a time when New York City’s community composting program cuts may cause layoffs and disruption of existing services which could reduce waste processing capacity by as much as 25%, the need for education about the benefits and how-tos of composting is greater than ever. And little is being done in our community; it is time for us to pick up the reins.
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Acquisition of a Historic Property Adjoining Red Cote Preserve
Continue readingIn June, the Land Alliance purchased a one-year option agreement from the Pulling family. The agreement allows the Land Alliance time to raise the $1.52M necessary to purchase 4.5 acres of land adjacent to the Red Cote Preserve in Oyster Bay Cove.
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Saunders Woods – A Generous Gift to Our Community
Continue readingThe Land Alliance was thrilled to add Saunders Woods to our ever-growing list of preserves in 2023. This generous land donation was made by the Saunders family, long time Matinecock residents and proponents of land conservation. When the Saunders first approached the Land Alliance about donating the property we knew this would be a big conservation win for the community. Located in the Village of Matinecock, Saunders Woods is comprised of 12 acres of vacant, forested land quietly set back from Piping Rock Road.
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New York State Open Space Plan Update
Continue readingWorking alongside the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), the Land Alliance spearheaded the Nassau County arm of the Region 1 New York State Open Space Committee. We convened a series of meetings where partner organizations and local government officials worked together to develop countywide recommendations for the Plan’s update.
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Williams Ridge Preserve Update
Continue readingWe are off to a good start this spring at Lattingtown’s 4.5-acre Williams Ridge Preserve. We made irrigation upgrades and installed native shrubs, sedges, warm-season native grasses and wildflowers along the pond edge and across the adjoining upland. Also, a meadow was revamped and seeded just after Thanksgiving. We are overhauling the formal garden area […]
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Carter Rogan – 2024 O’Neil Conservation Steward
Continue readingWe are pleased to welcome back Carter to our 2024 O’Neil Stewards program. He returns to the Land Alliance for a second summer after receiving his master’s degree in environmental science from SUNY-ESF. For his master’s capstone, Carter focused on treatment of beech leaf disease at one of the Land Alliance’s properties. He is excited […]
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Christina Larson – 2024 O’Neil Conservation Steward
Continue readingWe are delighted to welcome Christina Larson to our 2024 O’Neil Stewards program. Christina is a student at SUNY ESF working towards a bachelor’s degree in Conservation Biology. Christina has prior experience working with NYS DEC as a Forest Health Intern, detecting Southern Pine Beetle populations throughout the Central Pine Barrens as well as monitoring […]
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Vianca Hinds – 2024 O’Neil Conservation Steward
Continue readingWe are delighted to welcome Vianca Hinds to our 2024 O’Neil Stewards program. Vianca is a recent graduate of SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry (ESF) with a degree in wildlife science and is excited to begin her career. Having grown up in Huntington, New York, Vianca is extremely passionate about Long Island’s native […]
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A Very Big Deal
Continue readingThe 216-acre Seminary of the Immaculate Conception has been a part of Lloyd Harbor history for centuries. We are very pleased to announce that this incredible natural area filled with mature forest, wetlands and meadows will become a permanent part of our community’s future.
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Growing Healthy Communities Through Food and Gardening
Continue readingNorth Shore Land Alliance and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County have teamed up to provide health and wellness programs for youth and adults at our Roosevelt Community Garden.
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Grasslands Symposium Highlights Long Island’s Grassland Restoration Efforts
Continue readingGrasslands Symposium highlighted the significant work occurring on Long Island to protect and establish grasslands, as well as ways we can grow more biodiverse landscapes.
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Wawapek Greenhouse Restoration and Native Seed Propagation
Continue readingThanks to a $50,000 grant from the Gerry Charitable Trust, the restoration of the Wawapek greenhouse began last year. This fall, with the help of our volunteers, we’ve been collecting native wildflower and grass seeds from our preserves to propagate in the greenhouse.
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Cushman Woods Meadow Transformation
Continue readingAbout two years have passed since we launched site preparation for the Cushman Woods meadow. The first step was forestry mulching, which involved the use of a powerful brush cutting tool to cut and shred years’ growth of undesirable vegetation. It included porcelainberry vine and multiflora rose on about five open (but badly) invaded acres of Cushman Woods Preserve. This area is located along a utility line in the northwest part of the property.
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Restoration of the Williams Preserve
Continue readingWilliams has come a long way since Mary and Tim Williams donated this beautiful 4.5-acre Lattingtown parcel to the Land Alliance last June. We are embarking upon an extensive preserve-wide habitat restoration. Our restoration ecologist consultant Peter Meleady generously donated the plan.
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Sisters of St. Joseph: Estate Planning on a Divine Scale
Continue readingWe are delighted to report that the Sisters of St. Joseph have committed to donating to the Land Alliance a 47-acre conservation easement on a forested parcel of their 212-acre property in Brentwood (Suffolk County). This is just one of many actions the Sisters are taking to protect their valuable work and the future of our world.
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Enjoy the Gift of Nature: Explore Land Alliance Preserves
Continue readingNorth Shore Land Alliance preserves are free and open to the public from sunup to sundown seven days a week. Please join us at these wonderful places filled with flora and fauna and the wonders of nature.
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2023 Walks in the Woods & Other Cool Things to Do Outside
Continue readingOur Walks in the Woods are as popular as always, limited only by parking/access restrictions at the delightful, often off-the-beaten-path locations we introduce participants to.
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A Decade of Service by Friends Academy Students
Continue readingFor ten years, the Land Alliance has had the pleasure of hosting Friends Academy students who spend the last three weeks of the school year volunteering for independent service projects. We are grateful for and impressed by their good nature and willingness to learn
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Volunteers Help Enhance Habitat Quality at Our Preserves
Continue readingThis Spring, volunteers have been busy at all of our preserves completing meaningful projects that improve habitat quality and visitor experience. We extend our deepest gratitude to the groups and organizations that have generously given us a hand in these endeavors
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6th Annual Earth Day at the Roosevelt Community Garden
Continue readingNearly 100 volunteers gathered at the Roosevelt Community Garden on Saturday, April 22nd to take part in our 6th Annual Earth Day event. We want to express our sincere thanks to all those who joined us in this year’s celebration.
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Carter Rogan – 2023 O’Neil Steward
Continue readingWe are delighted to introduce Carter Rogan as a valuable addition to our esteemed O’Neil Stewards program. Carter is currently pursuing a master’s degree at the SUNY College for Environmental Science and Forestry. Carter, a native Long Islander, has an affinity for native plants and animals and is looking forward to applying what he’s learned […]
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Patrick Muccini – 2023 O’Neil Steward
Continue readingWe are thrilled to welcome Patrick Muccini to our esteemed O’Neil Stewards program. Patrick, a Long Island native and a rising senior at Binghamton University, brings a passion for environmental science ecosystems and a strong commitment to conservation.
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Victoria Bell – 2023 O’Neil Steward
Continue readingVictoria Bell is a rising junior at the University of Vermont studying Environmental Studies in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources with minors in Forestry and Music. She is from Huntington and is passionate about keeping Long Island’s natural areas in good health. She’s interested in conservation, ecology, environmental justice, climate change mitigation and how these disciplines intersect.
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Recycling Matters
Continue readingAs of January 1st, the Town of Oyster Bay has reinstated its glass recycling program after a four-year hiatus. Oyster Bay joins the towns of North Hempstead, Huntington, Hempstead, Islip, Babylon, Smithtown and others across the island in recycling this highly used material.
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Charitable Conservation Easement Program Integrity Act Signed Into Law
Continue readingWhen landowners choose to conserve their land there are several different ways to achieve that end. One important tool is a conservation easement, a voluntary, perpetual agreement between a landowner and a qualified conservation organization, such as the Land Alliance, that restricts the use of the land to protect its conservation values.