Meadowlark, 2003 K.Pmd
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NEWSLETTER OF FRIENDS OF HEMPSTEAD PLAINS AT NASSAU COMMUNITY COLLEGE dignitaries including representatives of Nassau Volume 2, Issue 1 Summer, 2003 President's Message County government and State Senator Greetings to all of you! I hope this summer Charles Fuschillo’s office. Additionally, Mary continued on page 3 Inside This Issue season has been restorative, relaxing and recreation filled for everyone. The summer President's Message has been an interesting and active one at the A New Sign In Town by Betsy Gulotta Hempstead Plains. We have had volunteers A new sign marks the entrance to the A New Sign out on the preserve helping to weed invasive plants on several occasions. These Hempstead Plains Preserve, one of the last intrepid workers have braved the summer remnants of prarie habitiat of the vast The Beastie Boys sun to get rid of mugwort and shrubby Hempstead Plains that once spanned 60,000 growth by hand pulling, hand cutting and acres across central Nassau County. The sign was dedicated on June 12 by a group of Voluntary Restoration mowing. They have made a big dent in getting the invasives to take a hike. Thanks Friends officials and dignitaries. This 19-acre to the counselors and campers from the Sid fragment of the original, on the campus of Future Dates Jacobsen Jewish Community Center, the Nassau Community College, is managed by interns from the New York City High the Friends of Hemstead Plains to preserve, Friends Recognized School for Environmental Studies and our restore and offer educational programs about own members—particularly Ralph Foster its unique ecology and history. The sign was designed and constructed by Plains Visitors and Richard Altemonte—as well as others for their time and efforts in the last couple Sign Studio, owned by Lisa Genovese, Nassau of months. Community College alumna. The birdsfoot Thanks To Supporters Summer kicked off for us with a couple of violets were painted by Ellen Valentino. very special events. First we dedicated our Funding was donated by Hicks Nurseries, MISSION STATEMENT new entrance gate sign. If you haven’t seen Inc.. Fred Hicks owner of Hicks Nurseries, Friends of Hempstead Plains serves on the Advisory Council for the at Nassau Community it, do go by and have a look. We had a College, Inc. is a not-for-profit great turn out of students from several Friends. His son Stephen represented him at 501 (c) (3) organization Nassau Community College biology and the dedication. His grandfather, Henry Hicks, dedicated to preserve, restore wrote the first botanical survey of the and manage the Hempstead environmental science classes. Their Plains through sustained and teachers (Wesley Doody, Kathryn Podwall, Hempstead Plains in 1892. planned stewardship and Kumkum Prabhakar and Carol Ryder) are educational programs. We This Newsletter is offered to members and recognize the need for prairie all to be commended for being resourceful supporters of Friends of Hempstead Plains at habitat protection and commu- enough to look in their own backyard for a Nassau Community College, Inc.. The Friends nity awareness enhancement. great teaching opportunity. After the offers educational programs to schools, commu- dedication ceremony the classes were led on nity groups and the general public. We have FRIENDS OF HEMPSTEAD PLAINS many volunteer opportunities for those inter- DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY a tour of the preserve by Betsy Gulotta, our NASSAU COMMUNITY COLLEGE ested in helping with prairie restoration, GARDEN CITY, NEW YORK 11530 conservation project manager. Some of development of a library, and giving programs. PHONE: 516-572-7570 For extra newsletter copies, address changes, FAX: 516-572-7762 them even got to see themselves on News URL:HTTP://WWW.FRIENDSOFHP.ORG membership and volunteer information, please NEWSLETTER EDITOR: BOB MACKIN Channel 12 that evening. That News contact Betsy Gulotta, Conservation Project Channel 12 was there to cover the event Manager, at 516-572-7570 or email Volume 2, Issue 1 was great because we had many visiting [email protected] Dignitaries present for the sign thirty-fice thousand fans flying in, driving in July, as part of their month long dedication festivities included motorcycling in from upstate New York, from Washington, from volunteer program with The Nature Catherine Kelly, President of Friends of the Pacific Coast Conservancy on Long Island. Dion Hempstead Plains at Nassau Commu- to Long Island’s old 29,000-acre U.S. Navy site Howell, Tat Wong, Aswad Glover, and nity College, Betsy Gulotta, Conserva- in Calverton, Mentor Alex Marx, cut woody shrubs, parking, pitching tents tion Project Manager, Anna Mascolo, rocking to the Beastie Boys, Radiohead, Beck, Liz clipped and cleared invasive weeds Office of Legal Affairs at Nassau Phair. nearly non-stop for over six hours each Community College and Friends Board Calverton, almost the last savannah on Long day. Their summer volunteer program member, Mary Adams, Vice-Chair, Island, One of the most important northeastern took them all over Long Island and Board of Trustees of Nassau Commu- grasslands nity College, Carol Ryder, Curator of For birthing generations of grasshopper sparrows. Nassau County Department of Parks Ammodramus savannarum, a species survival of “special concern.” Early June, Grasshopper sparrows on territory, Courting, building grassy cupped nests in sight, hearing of concert platform, strobe lights, amplifiers, 60-foot towers of steel scaffolding for speakers heaping up volume of rock, rap, heavy metal, Beastie Boys barreling forth “Hello Nasty,” “No Sleep til Brooklyn,” “Putting Shame in your Volunteers show off their new t-shirt in Game.” front of Preserve's new sign New sign marks the entrance to the Come, watch a yellow-shouldered five-inch bird Hempstead Plains at NCC. L to R: balance on little bluestem, upstate, as they helped with various Catherine Kelly, Betsy Gulotta, Anna hold erect his brown and whitish striped head, Mascolo, Mary Adams, Carol Ryder, Sarah his bill quivering, zip forth lengthening lines, conservation projects across the state. Holly, and Stephen Hicks. tik-zzzzzzz tik-zzzzzzz, tik-zzzzzzz, The Friends would also like to ac- female answering with sweet trills knowledge the volunteer efforts of two Come, Enjoy this tiny avian recital college students who helped during the and Recreation and Parks Green Space Before arrival of boot and blare month of June; David Karpen from Preserves and Friends Board member, Used with permission of the author. Nassau Community College and Sarah Holly, representing New York State Senator Charles Fuschillo, Stephen Hicks, Hicks Nurseries, Inc. Voluntary Restoration As a not-for-profit organization, the by Betsy Gulotta Friends operates through grants and High School Student Volunteers Help donations. New York State Senator With Plains Restoration Charles Fuschillo was instrumental in The Friends of Hempstead Plains acquiring a State Legislative grant for was grateful for the volunteer efforts the Friends. of two groups of high school teens The Beastie Boys – The this summer. Sid Jacobsen Jewish Community Center in East Hills Volunteers working at Hempstead Plains Grasshopper Sparrow provided 22 teens and their counse- Preserve by Maxwell Corydon Wheat, Jr. lors to help with weed removal on “This event is absolutely happening,” July 17, as part of a six week com- Matthew Flemming from Holy Cross avows promoter of Field Day Festival June 7-8, munity service program offered by College. Their help was essential in acclaimed and assailed the Center. The teens spent several preparing for the sign dedication. as one of the most massive rock concerts on Long Island, hours clipping, bagging and drag- ging weeds from the site, and The Hempstead Plains Preserve is enjoyed a picnic lunch outside the Friends Recognized open to visitors on an appointment Nassau Community College Food The Soroptimist International of basis. If you would like to see and Court. Nassau County annual dinner on June tour the Hempstead Plains, call Three students and their mentor 17, 2003, was the scene where Town of 516-572-7570 to make an appoint- from the High School for Environ- Hempstead Councilwoman Dorothy ment. mental Studies in Manhattan Goosby presented a Certificate of worked at the Hempstead Plains for Recognition to the Friends of two days during the last week in Hempstead Plains. The Friends Volume 2, Issue 1 received the 2003 Community Service President's Message Friends of Hempstead Plains wishes to express our Award from the Soroptimists. The continued from page 1 thanks and appreciation to the following donors to and/or supporters of our restoration and $1000 award will enable the Friends to Adams from the Nassau Community offer a Teacher Training Program to College Board of Trustees, and Anna education projects: prepare local teachers to lead tours and Marie Mascolo, NCC Vice President Soroptimist International of Nassau conduct outdoor classes at the for Legal Affairs came out for the County Hemsptead Plains. ceremony. Other important guests Reckson Associates Realty Corporation included Steven Hicks (son of Fred Independent Community Foundation Whittier Publications Hicks of Hicks Nurseries, who donated LIPA the money for the sign), Marie Hicks Nurseries, Inc. Palagonia from the Nature Conser- Tool Rentals, Inc. (Baldwin) vancy, and Ed Smits from the Cradle of Sign Studio Aviation Museum. Our other impor- Nassau Community College tant early summer event was the receipt The Nature Conservancy of a grant from Soroptimist Interna- New York State Office of Parks, tional of Nassau County. This grant Recreation and Historic Preservation Vince Puglisi, Catherine Kelly and Betsy Gulotta accept the Certificate of Recognition from Dorothy will be used to run a series of teacher Goosby. L to R: Vince Puglisi, Dorothy Goosby, training workshops so that members of The Friends Of Hempstead Plains at NCC, Catherine Kelly and Betsy Gulotta. Nassau County’s community of Inc. is a not-for-profit, tax exempt group educators can use the Hempstead formed to protect and reclaim the prairie Plains as a resource for their courses.