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Land Alliance’s 2025 Golf & Tennis Outing Piping Rock Club in Locust Valley
Land Alliance’s 2025 Golf & Tennis Outing at the beautiful Piping Rock Club. Springtime was in full swing as 100 golf enthusiasts and 34 tennis players gathered for the Land Alliance’s 17th annual Swing Fore the Love of the Land at the beautiful Piping Rock Club. As both events wrapped up, guests visited the buffet line or warmed up by the fire as they headed into the clubhouse overlooking the course to sit down for lunch and enjoy the awards ceremony. The excitement kicked off with a delicious breakfast on the bricks, where players fueled up before hitting the practice swings on the driving range, generously sponsored by Cathy Chernoff. Once ready, everyone hopped into golf carts (thanks to the Vultaggio Family and AriZona Beverages for underwriting the golf carts) and teed off with a lively shotgun start. Meanwhile, the tennis courts buzzed. Due to some impending rain, the matches moved from grass to clay courts, but that didn’t dampen spirits. The talented Piping Rock pros led warm-up drills, and players dove into some fun round-robin matches, taking quick breaks for lite bites and refreshments under the tennis awning. In a true display of determination, Dan Searby and Gerard Smith emerged as tennis champions, braving rain and all. Land Alliance CEO Lisa Ott spoke about the environmental importance of golf courses on Long Island. She introduced Dan Powell, the head groundskeeper at Piping Rock, who shared inspiring stories about the club’s environmental initiatives. They including the installation of nesting swallow boxes, pesticide-free zones, and thriving milkweed patches that support Monarch butterflies, All are vital steps in tackling the global biodiversity crisis. If your club is interested in similar eco-friendly measures, reach out to Dan or to us at Land Alliance to learn more. WINNERS: Lowest net with a score of 54 – Daniel Fromm Second place net with a score of 55 – Lee Rosen Saving Land First place gross with a score of 64 – Andrew Armonas Longest drive (Mens) Max Van Song| Longest drive (Ladies) Susannah Gemberling Closest to the pin (Mens) Mike O’Brien – Hole In One Closest to the pin (Ladies) Susannah Gemberling at 6’10” The 50/50 raffle prize was won by John McMillin, who generously donated his winnings back to the Land Alliance, exemplifying true community spirit. #gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-1 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-1 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */ Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors Presenting Sponsor Botsy and Hoyle Jones FedEx Cup Sponsor Jack Foley and Stewart Title The Masters Sponsors Albanese Organization, Inc. * Fidelity National Title Insurance Company * Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP Patricia J. Petersen & the Daniel Gale Foundation * Rafferty Holdings LLC U.S. Open Sponsor The Dooley Family * Risk Strategies Company Hole in One Sponsor Golf Cart Underwriter The Vultaggio Family & AriZona Beverages Driving Range Underwriter Cathy Chernoff A Huge Thank You to the Golf Event Committee. Your efforts in rallying supporters and corporate sponsors made the event a big success Allison Abbott * Diana Grace Beard * Sally Cynar * Darren DeRisi * Susan and Jack Foley* Brian Katz Ellen and John McMillin * John O’Kane * Laura Belt Ponomarev * Frank Segarra * Ben Stokes * Craig Weiss Digital Event Journal and Photographs Featuring event highlights, sponsor recognition, underwriters and moments from the course and the court. #gallery-2 { margin: auto; } #gallery-2 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #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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Discovering Nature Through a New Lens
From June through October, visitors to the Humes Preserve were invited to experience nature through a new lens, literally and artistically. The rotating photography exhibit transformed the Preserve’s Visitor Welcome Center into a space where art and nature intertwined, inspiring viewers to see the familiar beauty of the landscape in fresh and imaginative ways. Through striking imagery, from intimate close-ups to sweeping abstractions, the photographers revealed nature’s hidden artistry, encouraging us to pause, observe and rediscover the world around us. Each artist offered a distinct perspective. Some captured the delicate geometry of a single leaf; others expressed the movement of wind and light with the vigor of a painter’s brushstroke. Some found reverence in stillness, while others traced the vibrant patterns and chaos of color that define the natural world. Together, their work reminded us that nature is never just scenery… it is a living, ever-changing story waiting to be seen in infinite ways. An unexpected delight of the exhibit was the Comments Book, where visitors shared reflections that echoed the spirit of the show, fresh perspectives, quiet inspiration and a sense of wonder and gratitude. We were proud to feature the work of talented photographers Jan Guga, Gary Janosick, Don Nedbalsky and Olivia Peng, whose images celebrated both the artistry of nature and the joy of seeing it anew. Gary Janosick Photo Exhibit Jan Guga Photo Exhibit Don Nedbalsky Photo Exhibit Olivia Peng Photo Exhibit #gallery-6 { margin: auto; } #gallery-6 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-6 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-6 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
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Elisa Busse – 2025 O’Neil Conservation Steward
Elisa Busse Joins the Land Alliance 2025 O’Neil Conservation Steward Program We are delighted to welcome Elisa Busse to our 2025 O’Neil Conservation Steward program. Elisa is an undergraduate student at Hofstra University working towards a degree in biology. She grew up in Glen Head, New York, and has spent much of her life enjoying the parks and nature preserves that Long Island has to offer. About the William C. and Joyce C. O’Neil Conservation Steward Program Thanks to the Joyce C. and William C. O’Neil Charitable Trust, North Shore Land Alliance launched a formal internship program. Through this competitive program, qualified college students gain valuable conservation-related skills, including writing management plans for preserves, mapping trails, organizing volunteer and fundraising events, managing invasive plants, installing a woodland trail at Wawapek and educating the public about conservation. Contact Us! To learn more about the O’Neil Conservation Stewards summer internship program, visit us online at www.northshorelandalliance.org/oneil-stewards/ or contact us at 516-922-1028 or info@northshorelandalliance.org.
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McAuley Carrol – 2025 O’Neil Conservation Steward
McAuley Carrol Joins the Land Alliance 2025 O’Neil Conservation Steward Program. We are delighted to welcome McAuley Carrol to our 2025 O’Neil Conservation Steward program. McAuley is a recent graduate of the University of South Carolina with a degree in biological sciences. Last summer, he worked as a Shorebird Technician with the NYS Parks Department, where he gained hands-on experience monitoring nesting sites, banding birds and collecting important field data. About the William C. and Joyce C. O’Neil Conservation Steward Program Thanks to the Joyce C. and William C. O’Neil Charitable Trust, North Shore Land Alliance launched a formal internship program. Through this competitive program, qualified college students gain valuable conservation-related skills, including writing management plans for preserves, mapping trails, organizing volunteer and fundraising events, managing invasive plants, installing a woodland trail at Wawapek and educating the public about conservation. Contact Us! To learn more about the O’Neil Conservation Stewards summer internship program, visit us online at www.northshorelandalliance.org/oneil-stewards/ or contact us at 516-922-1028 or info@northshorelandalliance.org.
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Eileen McLaughlin – 2025 O’Neil Conservation Steward
Eileen McLaughlin Joins the Land Alliance 2025 O’Neil Conservation Steward Program. We are delighted to welcome Eileen McLaughlin to our 2025 O’Neil Conservation Steward program. Leigh is a recent graduate of Villanova University with a degree in Environmental Science. Her prior experience includes working on organic farms in Australia, building oyster farms on Long Island and monitoring heavy metals within streams in the Philadelphia area. About the William C. and Joyce C. O’Neil Conservation Steward Program Thanks to the Joyce C. and William C. O’Neil Charitable Trust, North Shore Land Alliance launched a formal internship program. Through this competitive program, qualified college students gain valuable conservation-related skills, including writing management plans for preserves, mapping trails, organizing volunteer and fundraising events, managing invasive plants, installing a woodland trail at Wawapek and educating the public about conservation. Contact Us! To learn more about the O’Neil Conservation Stewards summer internship program, visit us online at www.northshorelandalliance.org/oneil-stewards/ or contact us at 516-922-1028 or info@northshorelandalliance.org.
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