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Conservation News
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Weekly Climate Change Tips: Think Native This Week!
Continue readingThink Native! As you start to think about your summer garden, it very important to incorporate native plants into your plan. Native plants provide more food for birds and beneficial insects such as butterflies and bees where non-native or invasive plants do not. More specifically, because native trees and shrubs have evolved with the local […]
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The Importance of Private Conservation: Celebrating Local Conservation Heroes
Continue readingToday, we would like to celebrate our North Shore conservation champions – the local leaders who have been first to step up to donate their land or permanently protect it with a conservation easement. Their gifts will continue to improve the health of our community for generations to come!
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Happenings at Humes – From Gardens to the Garage
Continue readingWe were kept busy with mowing the phase two area of the meadow this year but unfortunately that was more due to controlling weed growth than keeping winter rye from going to seed, (as had been the case with phase one). Last fall’s seeding of the phase two area was less productive than phase one’s. […]
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Invasive Plant Species Proliferation on Long Island
Continue readingAs noted in a recent NY Times article, over the past 120 years, voracious insects and other pathogens have swept across North America with frightening regularity.
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The Value of Coastal Areas: What is Shore Road Doing for You?
Continue readingShore Road Sanctuary is an eight-acre nature preserve. It features a salt marsh, grassland and wet meadow that is very often partially submerged by water. As you walk there, you may notice birds hidden amongst the grasses and fiddler crabs scuttling along the beach.
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Water Quality Improvement Program Update
Continue readingAs of May 2021, Nassau County homeowners and small business owners became eligible for grant funding from the Soil and Water Conservation District’s SEPTIC program. In November, a Sea Cliff resident successfully installed Nassau County’s first ever nitrogen-removing clean water septic system.
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Protecting a Treasured Landscape: Seminary of the Immaculate Conception
Continue readingThe Seminary of the Immaculate Conception is a beautiful and environmentally significant 200+- acre property in Lloyd Harbor. The Land Alliance, working with the Seminary’s Board, the Trust for Public Land, the Village of Lloyd Harbor, the Town of Huntington and New York State, has begun laying the groundwork for a conservation transaction that would protect the beautiful forests, fields and wetlands contained within the property.
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What is 30×30? (Recently Renamed America the Beautiful)
Continue readingIn a 2018 article in Science Magazine, “Space for nature,” Jonathan Baillie (chief scientist at the National Geographic Society) and Ya-Ping Zhang (biologist with the Chinese Academy of Scientists) encouraged “governments to set minimum targets of 30% of the oceans and land protected by 2030, with a focus on areas of high biodiversity and/or productivity, and to aim to secure 50% by 2050.”
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The Land Alliance 30×30 Conservation Plan
Continue readingEvery five years (or as new data becomes available), the Land Alliance updates its Community Open Space Plan. We have generally included the 12 to 14 villages in our designated area where the most viable land conservation opportunities remain. The timing of this update turned out to be serendipitous this year in light of the recent “30×30” challenge that is gaining strength across the country and the world.
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Conservation Tools
Continue readingThe Land Alliance’s biannual newsletter serves as our progress report to the community. We aim to highlight the important conservation work taking place and educate our members and friends on the issues that affect the natural beauty and environmental health of our community. As we take on the 30×30 challenge, we find this a good opportunity to share the primary tools utilized in land conservation.
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Explore The Trails at these Five Nature Preserves This Summer
Continue readingThe Land Alliance is thrilled to offer a variety of trail systems at our ten public preserves. Trails offer opportunities to explore new places, connect with nature, relax and reflect and even get some exercise. The five trails wind through scenic meadows, woodland, white pine forests and more.
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Nature Play is Good for Children (and Adults Too!)
Continue readingProviding access to natural areas is central to the Land Alliance’s mission. Studies show that spending time in nature provides children with a wide range of health and cognitive benefits. Nature play improves children’s love of learning, academic performance, focus and behavior. Learn about the new nature play area that will be installed at the Humes Preserve.
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Fourth Season at the Roosevelt Community Garden
Continue readingThe Garden has become more than just a place to grow organic fruits, vegetables and herbs; it also is a place for gardeners to come together, to share and learn from each other.
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2021 O’Neil Conservation Stewards
Continue readingWe are excited to announce that we have chosen three interns for the summer 2021 I’Neil Conservation Stewards program, which will begin the first week of June.
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How Investments in Clean Water Can Restore Ecosystems
Continue readingIn 1972, Congress passed the Clean Water Act to restrict “point sources” such as factories and power plants from discharging contamination into US waterways. Over the nearly 50 years that have passed since then, NYC has invested more than $12 Billion to upgrade wastewater treatment to improve the health of the Hudson’s delicate, aquatic ecosystems. And, it has worked.
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The Cicadas Are Coming!
Continue readingIf you were around in 2004, you probably remember the loud songs of the cicada emanating from most of the trees on your property. You probably had a cicada or two clinging to your clothes or swatted a few away as they haphazardly flew around. If you have never met a cicada, there’s nothing to worry about. These lumbering creatures are just another wonder of nature to behold.
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Five Native Plants to Consider Planting
Continue readingNative plants play an indispensable role in supporting resilient ecosystems like stabilizing soil, filtering water, cleaning air and supporting wildlife. Once they are established, they require less watering and need no chemical fertilizers or pesticides to thrive. Here are five native wildflower and shrub options we recommend you plant to help with pollination and the sustainability of our ecosystem.
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Enhance Your Outdoor Adventures with These Six Nature Apps
Continue readingWhen it comes to spending time outside usually the best app is NO app. However, some apps can enhance your outdoor adventures. Here are six easy-to-use apps that will help you locate nearby trails, identify the plants and animals in your backyard or in our nature preserves, track invasives and share your observations with scientists working to better understand and protect nature.
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Water Friendly Lawn Care Tips
Continue readingNitrogen pollution impacts the health of our bays and drinking water source. The #2 source of nitrogen pollution is fertilizers (#1 is septic systems.) In an effort to protect the water that sustains us, we offer some healthy lawn care tips.
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Worth the Wait: Humes Preserve Opened to the Public
Continue readingOn September 30th, North Shore Land Alliance officially opened the Humes Preserve in Mill Neck to the public without much more than a peep! We’d originally envisioned celebrations with Land Alliance members and donors at a preserve pre-opening., but…
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Restore our Bays: Applying Innovative Advanced Nitrogen Reducing Technologies to Long Island Septic Systems.
Continue readingNitrogen is one of the most abundant elements in nature and is essential to life. Almost 78% of the atmosphere is comprised of the inert nitrogen gas, N2, and nitrogen can be found in every strand of a living organism’s DNA.
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Government Updates: The Great American Outdoors Act and A Community Preservation Plan for the Town of New Paltz, NY
Continue readingOn July 22nd, in a 310-107 bipartisan vote, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) and a new Community Preservation Plan for the Town of New Paltz, New York.
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2021 Walks in the Woods Preview
Continue readingNorth Shore Land Alliance 2021 Walks in the Woods Preview. Our Walks in the Woods are open to the general public. Advance registration is required! To register for for more information, please visit our https://northshorelandalliance.org/walks-in-the-woods.
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Roosevelt Community Garden Safely Reopens
Continue readingThe Roosevelt Community Garden was able to safely reopen despite the COVID 19 Pandemic. Garden members ended the season with a Fall Harvest and Garlic Planting.
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Stepping Up to the Plate: Bostwick Dollar-For-Dollar Matching Gift Challenge
Continue readingTommy Bostwick of Bostwick Capital adopted a conservation ethic early on. He fondly remembers time spent outside helping his Dad care for the nearby Jane B. Francke Sanctuary in Old Brookville. When he saw the stewardship responsibility the Land Alliance was taking on at Humes, he stepped up to help. His firm launched a dollar-for-dollar […]