Meadowlark, 2003 K.Pmd
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. grasses and the extremely rare plants This program will nicely support which exist, under protection, on a Scientists Visit The Soroptimist International’s environ- nineteen acre parcel on our campus. For ment and education program areas of more information contact the Conserva- Hempstead Plains service. We thank the members of tion Project Manager at: by Vince Puglisi Soroptimist International of Nassau [email protected]. County for recognizing the Friends of On June 26, 2003, Vince Puglisi, Hempstead Plains at Nassau Commu- Board member of the Friends of nity College as a worthy recipient of Hempstead Plains at Nassau Commu- this grant and look forward to imple- Future Dates nity College, greeted a group of 21 menting this program soon. If you are VOLUNTEER WORKDAYS active field biologists. They were on a an interested educator, please contact Saturday mornings: 9:00 to noon, five-day conference and tour of Long Betsy Gulotta to learn more. September 20, October 18, Novem- Island’s “hot spots” in Botany. During More financial support came our way ber 8, 2003: The Hempstead Plains their Conference, called Botany 2003, later in the summer through a grant will be open to the public on three they requested a stop at the Hempstead from the Reckson Corporation. While Saturday mornings in the fall for you Plains. the financial support of our members is to join us in our restoration efforts. Participants included members of the very important to us by showing us Bring a friend and come help Botanical Society of America (North- that private citizens in our community remove invasive plants by cutting east Chapter), Philadelphia Botanical care about the Hempstead Plains and shrubs and pulling weeds. We will Club, Torrey Botanical Society (New our organization, we will have to do also have a chance to collect native York City), and Long Island Botanical significant fund raising through grass seed to be used later. Bring Society. They braved 96-degree heat grantsmanship. If any of you knows of gloves, rakes and clippers. for over and hour and a half while they potential source of grant funding, or immersed themselves in the grassland, FALL LECTURE PROGRAM has experience writing grants the which held their eager attention. They September 19, 2003, at noon: Friends needs you to volunteer. Please identified several species of lichens, and Freeport Memorial Library; Slide contact Betsy Gulotta if you can help. were very interested in our manage- show and program. The program Finally I thank all of you for your ment of the globally endangered will feature an introduction to the interest in and support of the Friends species, Sandplain Gerardia, Agalinis ecology of the Hempstead Plains, of Hempstead Plains at Nassau Com- acuta, as well as our efforts to reclaim and the restoration efforts of the munity College. Your time, expertise nineteen acres of prairie habitat. Friends Of Hempstead Plains. and money all help us reach our goals to restore our unique prairie habitat. Volume 2, Issue 1 Friends of Hempstead Plains at Nassau Community College, Inc. Department of Biology U. S. Postage Garden City, New York 11530 ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
To:
( )$1000 ( )$500 ( )$100 ( )$40 ( )$25 ( )$5( )$25 ( )$40 ( )$100 ( )$500 )$1000 ( (
Phone: ………………… email: …………………… ………………… email: Phone:
……………………………………………………...
Address .…………………………………………… Address
Name ..…………………………………………….. ..…………………………………………….. Name
Garden City, New York 11530 11530 New York City, Garden
Dept. of Dept. Biology, Nassau Community College,
Friendsof Hempstead Plains
payable to:
Pleaseclip & return thispiece with your check
a member, a please uscontact
Hempstead Plains and/or would like to become to like would and/or Plains Hempstead
If you are interested in learning more about the the about more in learning interested are you If
education.
mission ofpreservation, restoration, and
deductiblewith 100% supporting the Friends
field trips and other events. Donations are tax are tax Donations events. andother trips field
programupdates, and invitations toprograms,
All members All receivewill theFriends newsletter,
special habitat. habitat. special
our highest aspirations in protecting this very this in protecting aspirations highest our
With your assistance your and With we caring can realize
environmental protection to help get us started. us get started. help to protection environmental
neighborsinterested in wildlife and
involvement. We look to our friends and friends our to look We involvement.
enhancingcommunity awareness and
dedicated to prairie habitat protection and to andto protection habitat prairie to dedicated
Community College, Inc. is a new organization organization a is new Inc. College, Community
Friendsof Hempstead Plains at Nassau
Phone: 516-572-7570 Fax: 516-572-7762 Fax: 516-572-7570 Phone:
TDN EBR $ MEMBER STUDENT
EEA EBRHP $ GENERALMEMBERSHIP
FAMILY $
FRIEND FRIEND $
SUPPORTER $
RTCO FTEPARE $ PROTECTOR OFTHE PRAIRIE
ABOUT THE FRIENDS THE ABOUT
JOINTHE FRIENDS
: e :
,and mail to:
mail: mail:
5
25
40
100
500
1000