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Pulling Campaign: Protecting the Lands that Matter Most
Pulling Campaign: Campaign to Acquire Five Acres of Critical Land Adjacent to the Red Cote Preserve in Oyster Bay Cove. When people think about land conservation, they often picture vast preserves or large working farms. But here on Long Island, every acre counts — and sometimes, protecting a five-acre parcel can make an enormous difference. That’s why the North Shore Land Alliance is committed to permanently preserving not only large tracts of land, but also smaller properties that play vital roles in our local community and in the environment. One such property is in Oyster Bay Cove — the beautiful and ecologically important Pulling Property on Yellow Cote Road. For the past year, the Land Alliance has been conducting a grassroots campaign to acquire the property, which is adjacent to the Red Cote Preserve, for conservation purposes. We are proud to share that over 100 local families and foundations have joined the effort thus far, raising nearly $1M of the $1.52M needed for the Land Alliance to purchase and permanently protect this land. You may be asking yourself, why are so many in this community investing in a relatively small plot of land? Besides its significant historic and nostalgic value (just one family has owned the land over the last 100 years), it also has considerable value for the health of our natural environment. A Haven for Nature – On an island where open space is rapidly disappearing, a five-acre parcel of wood, meadow, or wetland can provide a critical refuge for wildlife. The Pulling Property offers habitat for native plants, birds and pollinators. It also serves as a vital green connection between other conserved lands. By protecting this property, the Land Alliance will help maintain biodiversity and ensure that wildlife continues to thrive along the North Shore. Protecting Our Water – Long Island’s drinking water comes from a single underground aquifer — what happens on the surface above directly affects what we drink. Conserving the Pulling Property will allow natural soils and vegetation to filter rainwater before it seeps down to replenish our groundwater. Permanent protection of this parcel will also help reduce runoff and safeguard the health of both nearby wetlands and Oyster Bay’s coastal waters. Moreover, this property is particularly significant as it sits within the Oyster Bay Special Groundwater Protection Area, as designated by New York State. Strengthening Climate Resilience – As our communities face stronger storms and rising seas, natural areas like the Pulling Property that are on high ground offer invaluable protection. Trees and native vegetation on this land absorb stormwater, reduce flooding and store carbon — small but powerful contributions to a more resilient future for our region. To learn more about the Campaign to Grow Red Cote Preserve, visit www.northshorelandalliance.org/campaign-to-grow-red-cote-preserve/ or contact the Land Alliance at 516-922-1028 or info@northshorelandalliance.org. #gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-1 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-1 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
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Campaign to Grow Red Cote Preserve
Campaign to Grow Red Cote Preserve On June 8, 2025 neighbors and friends gathered in the garden at the Pulling Property in Oyster Bay Cove to launch a community effort to acquire nearly five acres of very important land adjacent to the Red Cote Preserve. Land Alliance President Lisa Ott welcomed guests and noted, “We have been presented with a rare opportunity to conserve a historic open space, protect our water supply in the Village of Oyster Bay Cove and ensure that this beautiful corner of our world will be protected in perpetuity, for the benefit of our community today and for generations to come.” The Land Alliance has moved quickly to work with the Pulling family, which has lovingly cared for this land for 100 years! In February, we signed a one-year option agreement with the family. The agreement gives the Land Alliance time to gather the community support needed to purchase this special parcel. To date, with the support of foundations and the Land Alliance Board, we have raised $600,000. Why is the protection of this land so important? Its undeveloped natural areas ensure continued groundwater recharge at a time when the state of our underground aquifers is challenged by saltwater intrusion. Its meadows and forest provide important habitat for plants and animals amid a worldwide biodiversity crisis. These areas also sequester large amounts of carbon, preventing harmful emissions from entering the atmosphere and worsening the impacts of climate change. Its trails expand recreational opportunities for our community and allow people important access to nature. Its historic character strengthens our community’s connection to the past and the successful protection of this land will instill a sense of pride in the future. The Land Alliance is grateful to the Pulling family for its commitment to preserving the local places and their stories that define the special character of our North Shore community. Now we are turning to you, the members of our community, to help us protect this vital place. Please join our community and help us grow Red Cote Preserve. Click here to make a donation or contact Deb Wiener at deb@northshorelandalliance.org to learn more.
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Land Alliance to Acquire 4.52 acres From the Pulling Family to Expand Red Cote Preserve
Land Alliance Signed a One-Year Option Agreement to Acquire 4.52 acres from the Pulling Family to Expand the Nassau County Red Cote Preserve in Oyster Bay Cove. Earlier this year, the Land Alliance was given the opportunity to acquire an additional 4.52 acres of land from the Pulling family to increase the size of the Nassau County-owned Red Cote Preserve located on Yellow Cote Road in Oyster Bay Cove. We are pleased to announce that the Land Alliance has now successfully signed a one-year option agreement to purchase this land for approximately $1.5 million. With a window of only one year to raise the funds, the effort to purchase the Pulling property kicked off on September 28th at the Land Alliance’s 2024 Wine Auction & Dinner. Land Alliance Trustee and Oyster Bay Cove resident John Bralower made a poignant appeal to attendees asking for their help in protecting this important place. In response, we were delighted to see dozens of hands raised in support of the Campaign to Expand the Red Cote Preserve. This effort raised more than $50K to jumpstart the effort. To be successful we will need broad community support, and that outreach will soon begin. Red Cote, previously owned by the Pulling, Cutting and Schwab families, was acquired by Nassau County in 2008 with Environmental Bond Program monies. The property is stewarded by the Land Alliance. The environmental characteristics of this new acquisition align perfectly with our preservation priorities. It features a beautiful scenic vista, a picturesque colonial garden and majestic centuries-old trees which will enhance the environmental value of the abutting Red Cote Preserve. Red Cote is a much-loved community treasure where pollinators flourish, birds nest and nature thrives. The lands that comprise the Red Cote Preserve are located within the New York State-designated Oyster Bay Special Groundwater Protection Area (SGPA). Protecting land in the SGPA is critical to replenishing the underground aquifers which are the only source of Long Island’s drinking water. The clock is ticking. The time to raise the funds to purchase this property is limited. We can be successful if we work together. Thank you, in advance, for your consideration and support. Please join our Campaign to Grow the Red Cote Preserve? To learn more about the campaign and how you can get involved, please visit our website at CAMPAIGN TO GROW RED COTE PRESERVE or contact the Land Alliance office at 516-922-1028 or info@northshorelandalliance.org.
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Acquisition of a Historic Property Adjoining Red Cote Preserve in Oyster Bay Cove
Acquisition of a Historic Property Adjoining Red Cote Preserve in Oyster Bay Cove In 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. This land features a beautiful scenic vista. It includes an additional trail, a picturesque colonial garden and majestic centuries-old trees. Located in the New York State designated Special Groundwater Protection Area and within the Route 25A Heritage Area, the land will be a wonderful addition to the Red Cote Preserve. The 30-acre Red Cote Preserve is comprised of land purchased from the Pulling, Cutting and Schwab families. It was created in the early 2000’s through proceeds from the Nassau County Environmental Bond Program. This much-loved community preserve features a peaceful woodland trail, sentinel red cedar trees in the meadow and native wildflowers butterfly weed blooming in summer and goldenrod in fall are particularly popular with preserve visitors and pollinators alike). Red Cote is managed by the Land Alliance. The land under the option agreement has been owned by Pulling family members for more than 100 years. In the early 1920s, R.C. Leffingwell rented a house and horse stables on the North Shore so that he, his wife and daughter Lucy could spend weekends out of the city and enjoy horseback riding. When the rental terminated in 1924, he purchased a farmhouse, stables and surrounding pastures and gardens at 33 Yellow Cote Road and named the property Red Cote. When adjacent properties came up for sale, he often purchased them as well. For example, he bought the cottage just north of the Red Cote field on Yellow Cote Road. It was occupied for many years by members of the Leffingwell/Pulling family and is now owned by neighbors. In 1927 he bought a house at 34 Yellow Cote Road from Willis Wood so the soon-to-be-married (to Edward Pulling) Lucy and her husband would have their own home on the property. Years later, when Edward Pulling retired from Millbrook School, he and Lucy moved back to the property. They lived the rest of their lives in the main house at Red Cote. 16 acres of the southwest portion of the property were sold in 2006 to Nassau County and are now part of the Red Cote Preserve. Protecting historic places like Red Cote Preserve helps us maintain a sense of continuity and connection to the past. It also fosters a sense of community and pride in the place where we live. The Land Alliance is grateful to the Pulling family for its commitment to preserving the stories and the places that define the character of our north shore community. To learn more about the Campaign to Grow Red Cote Preserve, visit www.northshorelandalliance.org/campaign-to-grow-red-cote-preserve/ or contact the Land Alliance at 516-922-1028 or info@northshorelandalliance.org.
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Explore The Trails at these Five Nature Preserves This Summer
The 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. Dogs are welcome; just make sure to keep them on leashes. We feature five preserves here worthy of exploration. Humes Preserve Oyster Bay Road, Locust Valley This two-mile trail system wraps around a glorious meadow and winds through a hilly, deciduous forest. Take a stroll there this summer and you may spot Monarch butterflies or downy woodpeckers. The Land Alliance recently installed six bluebird boxes in the meadow. These native birds are cavity-nesting creatures and need safe, secure locations to raise their young. The trail at Humes was constructed by the Land Alliance for public enjoyment. A fitness station was installed last summer, and an all-natural children’s play area will be added later this year. The wooded portion of the trail was named the Overlook Trail and was dedicated to Board Chairman Hoyle C. Jones for his tireless commitment to the protection of this historic property. A serene pine woodland path connects the meadow to the nature play area! Cushman Woods Still Road, Matinecock Restored carriage roads comprise most of the 1.3-mile trail system at this unique woodland preserve. But transportation by horse-drawn carriage was not this trail system’s only use over the years. In the 19th century, people like Theodore Roosevelt and his brother, Elliot, barreled down these trails on horseback as participants in the popular Meadowbrook fox hunt. Paul Cravath, a prominent New York City lawyer, used the trail system for hunting in the 1920s. Meadow restoration has just begun in a sunny 5-acre northwest portion of the preserve. The Augusta Reese Donohue trail at Wawapek Hope Goddard Iselin Preserve Chicken Valley Road, Upper Brookville The trail system at this preserve is a little over a mile long and winds through a glorious meadow, hardwood forest, successional woodland and white pine plantation. 13 interpretive signs may be found along the trail that detail the rich history and variety of ecological communities found there. Red Cote Preserve Yellow Cote Road, Oyster Bay Cove Take a walk down the scenic 1.5- mile trail system and you’ll see four mature red cedar trees towering over the meadow closer to the parking area. During late summer and early fall, the two meadows here are centers of activity as the blooming wildflowers, dominated by various goldenrod species, attract an array of pollinating insects. As you venture into the woodland note the spectacular umbrella magnolia trees that boast leaves over a foot in length Wawapek Mowbray Lane, Cold Spring Harbor This is the perfect preserve to visit if you are looking for a place to picnic and go for a walk. The half-mile trail system starts and finishes at the entrance to a remnant of the estate, a sprawling lawn now punctuated by a pollinator garden and restored trellis, along with specimen beech and sourwood trees. The trail departs the lawn to enter the majestic hardwood woodland, where dramatic sloped areas drop almost as far down as Cold Spring Harbor. While here you may catch a glimpse of a great horned owl, fox or state-protected box turtle. The Augusta Reese Donohue trail at Wawapek was named after Land Alliance Trustee Augusta Reese Donohue as a very special gift from her parents. ENJOY! For more trails, please visit our website at www.northshorelandalliance.org. Hope Goddard Iselin PreserveRed Cote Preserve
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