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Volunteer Spotlight:Dorothy Schmidt
Dorothy Schmidt is an extremely committed volunteer. She is an integral part of keeping the Land Alliance’s Shore Road Sanctuary clean and healthy for wildlife. Dorothy comes a few times a month to Shore Road to cut the invasive reed Phragmites, to pull out mugwort or locust saplings and to clean up garbage along the shore. Despite the clouds of mosquitos that also call Shore Road their home, Dorothy always gets the work done, sometimes having to wear bug-netting. Without Dorothy we fear the phragmites may take over the beach! We extend our greatest gratitude to her for all the work she has done In her own words, Dorothy says “I have found a perfect place to volunteer at the Shore Road Sanctuary. I have been visiting the grassland once a week during the growing season for a little over a year now and have seen my efforts to improve the habitat slowly progress with a little hard work and consistency. My tasks are simple, I try and cut back as much phragmites as possible and remove mugwort and black locust. The Phragmites is my main focus. It has been rewarding to see the cattail flourishing in the bog area of the meadow, as it should, after my weekly weeding out of invasives. “While I am at the grassland, I feel myself relaxed and enjoy the tranquil sounds of the wildlife around me. I have observed the seasonal course of wildlife including the nearby osprey nest and the fledglings’ first flight. It was magnificent.” “The staff has been excellent in answering any questions I have and teaching me about the ecosystem. It has been a great experience for me, and I recommend volunteering to anyone who enjoys nature. Thank you, Land Alliance.”
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Volunteers Learn How to Identify and Manage Invasive Species
Volunteers are the backbone of the Land Alliance. Without them we simply would not be able to keep up with all the stewardship work that needs to get done. This year our volunteers have worked cumulatively more than 1,200 hours. They are some of the hardest working people we know, never shying away from a challenge. Whether it be hauling bamboo or removing hundreds of pounds of invasives from a pond or helping monitor preserve trails for damage, our volunteers do it all. Earlier this summer our volunteers and O’Neil Stewards were taken on a tour of Hope Goddard Iselin Preserve to investigate invasive species in the woodland and meadow. The tour was led by Abby, Melody and Kassidy from the Long Island Invasive Species Management Area (LIISMA). Throughout the trails, volunteers were introduced to invasive species that they may not have been familiar with. With LIISMA’s help, the group learned ways to identify invasives, where they like to grow and their impacts to their ecosystem. This knowledge is crucial for our volunteers to be able to distinguish between what they should pull and what should remain. With new invasives species appearing all the time, up-to-date information is one of the greatest tools in our toolbelt for protecting our environment. Thank you LIISMA for helping us and our volunteers stay informed! Sign up to Volunteer with North Shore Land Alliance! To learn more, visit www.northshorelandalliance.org/programs/volunteers-for-open-space/ and click the green Sign Up button or email [email protected]. Hope to see you soon!
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Enhancements at the Roosevelt Community Garden
Whole Kids Foundation Garden Grant We are incredibly grateful to the Whole Kids Foundation for their generous $3,000 donation to support our efforts at the Roosevelt Community Garden. This funding has allowed us to create a sensory and vegetable gardening area for children ages 2-11, where they can plant, explore and pick freely. This new area features child-sized raised beds for easy access to plants, along with gardening tools and toys and materials for educational programs and other gardening resources. Next spring, we look forward to enhancing this area with native plants that offer different textures, colors and scents, further engaging children in the garden. The enthusiasm we’ve witnessed from the kids is inspiring. Thank you again to the Whole Kids Foundation for supporting our mission to cultivate the next generation of gardeners! NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets Grant With the support of a $13,000 grant from NYS Ag and Markets Program, we purchased solar-powered equipment for the Roosevelt Community Garden. The solar-powered lighting extends our operational hours from 6 am to 9 pm, while a solar generator allows us to expand our programming and power electronic devices like gardening tools, cell phones and audio-visual equipment for workshops. This addition significantly enhances the garden, creating a more welcoming atmosphere for all visitors. Families can now gather for evening activities, such as our recent multicultural potluck supper on September 21st. This initiative reflects our commitment to fostering a vibrant, safe and inclusive community space where everyone can connect with nature and one another. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who contributed to this project, ensuring that our garden continues to thrive as a central hub for learning and collaboration.
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Expanded Programming at the Roosevelt Community Garden
Roosevelt Community Garden Back to School Wellness Nature Walk On September 12th, the Land Alliance hosted a successful Back to School Wellness Nature Walk in partnership with Dr. Suanne Kowal-Connelly, MD, FAAP, Director of Pediatric Clinical Quality at Harmony Healthcare LI. Twenty attendees, including 10 enthusiastic youth from the Roosevelt and Freeport areas, gathered at the Norman J. Levy Preserve. Led by dedicated Land Alliance volunteers Wendy and Peter Martin, participants explored the trails, learning about various plants and wildlife, along with the benefits of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. On November 16th, we will host a wellness event at the Roosevelt Public Library. This event will equip parents with practical solutions for a healthier lifestyle as the holiday season approaches. Attendees can look forward to a panel discussion led by nutrition and health experts, as well as engaging in cooking and planting activities for kids. The primary goal of these events is to engage more youth in outdoor activities while highlighting the importance of healthy eating, staying active and understanding the value of a healthy lifestyle for overall well-being.
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New Composting Hub at the MacDonald Property
Composting’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% (https://www.wastedive.com/news/dsny-community-compost-budget-cuts-big-reuse-les-ecology-center-compost-power-nyc/700572/), 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. As a first step in what we hope will become a larger initiative, the Land Alliance jumped in and constructed three compost bins at our MacDonald property in Matinecock. The compost system will allow processing of vegetation debris on site. Grass clippings, leaves and other vegetation debris from the property will be contained, turned and moved among containers by volunteer and an experienced landscape contractor maintaining the property. Over time we plan to add material from other properties. In addition, we are conducting a series of educational workshops led by local experts and educators on composting at home, food waste and soil analysis and benefits through composting. Community members will learn to understand the value of this practice to enhancing natural communities, reducing waste and minimizing soil erosion. This new program was made possible through a grant from the New York State Conservation Partnership Program (NYSCPP) administered by the Land Trust Alliance. Match funding from National Grid, alongside the NYSCPP support, is allowing us to upgrade irrigation, set up tables and benches at the property and develop planting areas that will include a blueberry enclosure, fruit trees, a pollinator corner and a small meadow on which the compost will be used. Interpretive signage and deer fencing will round out our project. Composting helps complete the nutrient cycle by recycling plant material and returning nutrients to the soil onsite. MacDonald’s habitat value will be enhanced in an area of intense development pressure. It will welcome a community of diverse economic and cultural backgrounds to learn about composting and its support of our native plant and local wildlife that depend on them.
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