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Environment & Nature

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Destruction to Phase 1 work to the East Beach Bluff face as of March 2025. Photo from the Port Jefferson Village website.

By Lynn Hallarman

A community informational forum about Phase 2 of the East Beach Bluff stabilization project was held by village officials at the Port Jefferson Village Center on March 27. 

Audience in attendance at the forum held at the Village Center.  Photo by Lynn Hallarman

The forum aimed to update residents on the current status and finances of the upper wall project, summarize the next steps and review the work of Port Jefferson’s Citizens Commission on Erosion. 

Mayor Lauren Sheprow presided over the meeting. The board of trustees, village attorney David Moran, village treasurer Stephen Gaffga and clerk Sylvia Pirillo were present. 

Project summary

Phases 1 and 2 of the East Beach Bluff stabilization aim to halt bluff erosion and prevent the Village of Port Jefferson-owned country club from collapsing down the slope. 

Phase 1 was completed in August of 2023, with the construction of a 358-foot wall of steel and cement at the base of a steep bluff, about 100-feet-tall, facing north toward the Long Island Sound. Terracing and plantings installed along the western portion of the bluff were destroyed in a series of storms shortly after the project’s completion.  

Phase 2 involves installing a steel barrier driven into the bluff’s crest, just a few feet seaward of the country club. This upper wall is intended to stabilize the area landward of the bluff and reduce the risk of structural failure. 

As part of Phase 2’s preconstruction, GEI Consultants of Huntington Station—the engineers for Phases 1 and 2—will be engaged to update the land survey, analyze drainage options, reevaluate wall design for cost efficiency and monitor construction. Village officials will then prepare requests for proposal documents to solicit bids for the upper wall’s construction. 

Concerns of the Citizens Commission on Erosion

David Knauf, chair of the Citizens Commission on Erosion, speaks at the forum. Photo by Lynn Hallarman

David Knauf, chair of the Citizens Commission on Erosion, presented the benefits and concerns of various approaches to stabilizing the country club at the bluff’s edge.  

The CCE serves as a volunteer advisory group to the village on erosion-related issues.  Members are not required to have specialized expertise.

Among the advantages, Knauf noted that a portion of Phase 2 costs will be covered by a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant, reducing the financial burden on local taxpayers.  However, the committee expressed concerns about the reliability of FEMA funding.

“If they are withdrawn, that is going to put us in a heap of trouble fiscally,” he said. 

Key concerns include the unknown long-term costs of the overall project beyond the Phase 2 wall installation. These include a drainage plan, repairs to damage sustained during Phase 1 and ongoing maintenance expenses.

“All of us on the committee are taxpayers, and we’re concerned about getting value for money spent,” Knauf said. “The bluff wall project is not something that you just do and you’re finished. It’s going to have responsibilities and obligations for the village in perpetuity.”

Knauf outlined alternative approaches to building the upper wall, including: 

●Rebuilding the clubhouse inland in conjunction with bluff restoration and drainage improvements. 

●Implementing a partial wall and drainage plan, followed by the eventual relocation of the clubhouse.

 “It is the opinion of the committee that detailed plans for the whole project — including Phase 1 repairs, drainage and Phase 2 — are completed so an accurate assessment of final costs can be presented to the village taxpayers,” Knauf later told TBR News Media in an email. 

Comments from GEI

Following Knauf’s presentation, GEI licensed professional engineer Adon Austin  explained the steps necessary before construction can begin on the upper wall.

The project is designed as a “two-part system [lower and upper wall] working in combination to control bluff erosion,” Austin said. 

“Once we have the design reconfigured and a drainage plan, all of this will go to the New York State arm of the Federal Emergency Management Agency for review,” he added. “FEMA will then revise the cost estimates, the scope and the grant, to align with what the current scope of the project would be.”  GEI will then issue a final design along with construction documents.

GEI has recommended that the village evaluate the current risk to the building’s foundation in response to written questions from the Citizens Commission on Erosion. 

Laura Schwanof, senior ecologist and landscape architect for GEI, commented on possible contributing factors to the current erosion of the bluff face:

“ We were only allowed [by the state Department of Environmental Conservation] to put terraces up six rows — nothing more.” Schwanof said. “ We were prevented from doing any structural work on the western end beyond the golf course.  As far as failure of the system, we worked within the confines of the regulatory agency requirements.”

Treasurer outlines project costs

Village treasurer Stephen Gaffga presented an overview of the financial history related to the East Beach Bluff stabilization project.  To date, the total amount spent so far for Phases 1 and 2 is approximately $6.02 million. 

Phase 1 was funded through borrowed money as part of a $10 million bond resolution passed by the board of trustees in 2021. The resolution was approved by a permissive referendum, meaning it did not move to a public vote. Of the $10 million, “$5.2 million was spent on Phase 1,” Gaffga said.   

According to a fall 2024 audit by CPA firm, PKF O’Connor Davies — previously reported by TBR News Media — Phase 1 exceeded its original budget by approximately $800,000. This overage was not discussed during the forum. 

“The overage on Phase 1 was paid for in past years with taxpayer funds out of the general fund balance,” Gaffga wrote in an email.. 

Gaffga estimated the combined costs to individual taxpayers for Phases 1 and 2 at approximately $77 per year over a 15-year period. However, he noted this estimate may need to be revised once actual costs for the wall construction and other related projects are known. 

”We don’t know what the costs are going be until we actually go out to bid on the construction of the project, and we’re not there yet,” Gaffga said. 

Additional expenses — including a drainage project, repairs to the bluff face and ongoing maintenance costs to the bluff — were not addressed at the forum.

Community questions focus on costs, property use

Most audience questions centered on the project’s cost to taxpayers, technical aspects of the stabilization effort and how the property is used by residents. The golf membership currently includes  “3 percent of village residents,” according to Moran.   

Moran responded to a question about holding a public referendum on whether to proceed with construction of the upper wall or rebuild the facility inland. 

“During that permissive referendum vote back in 2021, no petition was received [from the public within 30 days] as required for a public vote. Bond counsel to the village advised that there’s only one way to call for another vote— the trustees would have to rescind that initial bond resolution. This would mean the loss of FEMA money.” 

Village resident Myrna Gordon said in a statement to TBR News Media:

“Residents who own the facility should be the ones that determine through a referendum how best to resolve its use, function and future — of both the building and bluff that is so greatly compromised.” 

The meeting closed with comments from members of the board of trustees:

“Phase 2 is a way to ensure that we protect the bluff so that we buy time. To decide how to deal with the building.  Maybe we retrieve the building; maybe it gets moved — who knows?” trustee Xena Ugrinsky said. 

“ If you have strong feelings about this issue, I highly encourage you to email the board,” trustee Kyle Hill said. 

The Citizens Commission on Erosion can be reached at: [email protected].

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METRO photo

Suffolk County’s Active People, Healthy New York Action Plan moves forward, encourages physical activity in safe, green spaces.

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine today announced the opening of applications for the 2025 Green Key Parking Permit Program with Local Libraries, or Green Key PPP. The program is part of Suffolk County’s three-part plan to engage residents in physical activity, increase access to public green spaces, and educate residents to improve the overall health of the Suffolk County.

To encourage physical activity in safe green spaces, County Executive Romaine last year authorized county health officials and county parks officials to collaborate with the Suffolk Cooperative Library System to offer residents one-time Green Key parking permits through their local libraries.

Suffolk County libraries interested in participating in the pilot program will be offered the opportunity to purchase a pack of twenty-five parking permits for $125.

Beginning in April 2025, Library patrons will have the opportunity to purchase, for $5, a one-time parking pass to visit one of 10 Suffolk County parks on a date of their choice.

“In Suffolk County, we are blessed with an extensive network of beautiful parks where residents and visitors can engage in myriad activities,” said Executive Romaine. “We are inviting residents to take advantage of this offer to experience one of our Suffolk County parks one time for a generously discounted fee.”

Library patrons who take advantage of the Suffolk County Library Parking Permit Pilot Program will enjoy a first-hand experience of a county park for a day and may decide that purchasing a Parks Green Key Card is a worthwhile investment. The Green Key Card entitles holders access to all Suffolk County parks and reduced fees for activities.

“This pilot program is intended to get people moving to reduce their risk serious chronic illnesses,” said Dr. Gregson Pigott, Suffolk County Health Commissioner. “We hope to engage all communities to visit their local parks and participate in activities they may not know are available to them as Suffolk County residents.”

“The Parks department is happy to partner with the Suffolk County Health department and local libraries with the new Parking Permit Pilot Program. The County has amazing natural resources, and our hope is that residents get out and explore what they have right in their own backyard” said Commissioner Giannott, “Our goal is for residents to discover places they may not have ventured to in the past and enjoy Suffolk County for all it has to offer.”

“Libraries are all about connecting people to resources that benefit them. We look forward to partnering with Suffolk County to assist local residents with exercising their minds at our County’s amazing libraries and their bodies are our County’s beautiful parks” said Suffolk Cooperative Library System Director Kevin Verbesey.

As part of the pilot program and to better understand the communities we serve, Suffolk County officials will collect data, report, and formulate recommendations for the future.

Part two of Suffolk County’s Active People, Healthy New York Action Plan is the health department’s Nature Walk Program that offers walking and learning events featuring health and environmental specialists. Part three of The Plan involves changes to infrastructure in the latter part of 2025 & 2026.

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An example of a vernal pool. Photo by John Turner
An Eastern tiger salamander, a NY State Endangered Species. Photo by John Turner
An example of a vernal pool. Photo by John Turner
An example of a vernal pool. Photo by John Turner
A female marbled salamander, a vernal pool species, guarding her egg clutch. Photo by John Turner
An example of a vernal pool. Photo by John Turner

By John L. Turner

John Turner

They are quite easy to overlook. Most are small, some really small, the size of your living room. Or maybe no bigger than the size of the first floor of your house. They are typically dry by the time summer’s heat reaches full blast so if you’re not trained to look at a shallow depression of water stained leaves you may not know what you’re looking at — a dynamic ecosystem that when filled with water sustains scores of species. 

These habitats, just dimples in the landscape, are known as vernal pools, or as a key researcher from the Massachusetts-based Vernal Pool Association likes to call them, “wicked little puddles.” They are fascinating small-scale ecosystems filled with wonder and discovery. 

Vernal pools gain their name because generally they have their highest water levels in the spring, around the vernal equinox, due to the combination of seasonal rains and snow melt. Amphibians are the stars of the vernal pool show, taking advantage of these fishless environments allowing them to  breed successfully. Three of the more common Long Island amphibians utilizing these pools are Wood Frogs, Spring Peepers, and Spotted Salamanders.  

Beginning in the middle of March, unless it’s a harsh winter, these species emerge from their upland overwintering sites (under logs, in rodent holes, etc.) and migrate to the ponds to make the next generation. Visiting a pool on a spring night it is not unusual to hear the deafening peeps of the Peepers (living up to their name) and the vocalizations of wood frogs (a cross between the quack of a duck and the barking of a dog). 

Shine a flashlight on the water and you might see the tail swish of a beautiful yellow-dotted Spotted Salamander moving through the leaves lining the pond’s bottom. Or perhaps it will be cork-like creatures in the form of mating pairs of wood frogs  in amplexus — she releases dozens to more than a hundred eggs into the water quickly followed by the clasping male releasing a cloud of sperm. Soon, the gelatinous egg mass swells with water, forming fist size clusters, anchored to submerged stems and over the next couple of weeks the embryos develop, eventually hatching into tadpoles. 

Spotted Salamander egg masses look similar but in their case fertilization is internal with the female taking up sperm capsules (called spermatophores) which the male salamanders have deposited on the pool bottom. Spring peepers, a species of treefrog, don’t lay egg clusters like these other two species but rather deposit individual eggs. 

 Other amphibians known to use Long Island vernal pools include cousins to the Spotted Salamander: Marbled, Blue-spotted and Eastern Tiger Salamanders (a New York State endangered species), Red-spotted Newts, Fowler’s and Eastern Spadefoot Toads, Grey Treefrogs, and to a lesser extent American Bullfrogs, and Pickerel and Green Frogs.

Many other forms of life thrive in these “wicked little puddles.” One fascinating species are fairy shrimp, small krill-like crustaceans that swim about the water column “upside down” with females carrying egg clusters in their tail appendage. We have two species on Long Island, both of which are quite adept at surviving prolonged dry periods even when vernal pools remain dry for several consecutive years, such as during a drought. 

How does a fairy shrimp survive prolonged dry periods?  Their eggs are cyst like and can tolerate complete desiccation, extreme cold, harsh UV exposure, and other extreme environmental conditions and come out of it no worse for the wear  — they are the definition of tough!  The eggs are even known to travel through the digestive system of ducks (several species of waterfowl routinely feed on fairy shrimp), unscathed by the bird’s digestive acids and it is thought this pathway explains how shrimp colonize new pools. 

Many other types of invertebrates frequent vernal pools including quite a few types of water bugs and beetles, midges, mites, and mosquitoes, dragonflies and damselflies, worms, snails and clams, copepods, all tied together with amphibians and other vertebrates in a complex food web of  “eat and be eaten”.  

For many vernal pool inhabitants, including amphibians, there is a clock always ticking, as animals speed to complete stages of their life cycle before the pools dry up, certain death for tadpoles that have not yet completed metamorphosis. Some eggs hatch as quickly as a couple of days and tadpoles can undergo the miracle of metamorphosis in a few weeks. Some grow more rapidly by dining on the aforementioned fairy shrimp which is a plentiful source of protein in the pool.     

For these vernal pool frequenting amphibians to survive, it is not enough to protect just the pool and pool basin.  Wood Frogs, Spotted Salamanders and many other amphibians migrate from the pools once breeding is done to spend the rest of the year in adjacent upland habitats around the pools. “Around” is a relative term as it may involve distances of several hundred feet since some individuals travel far (a few individuals such as Tiger Salamanders and Wood Frogs have been documented moving more than a thousand feet from the pool). Thus, protecting upland habitats around vernal pools is vital. Protecting upland areas between pools is ideal!

In 2022 a coalition of environmental groups worked with the NYSDEC and the Governor’s office to amend the NYS Freshwater Wetlands Act, strengthening it in many ways including providing greater protection for vernal pools. This effort paid off as vernal pools are included as one of eleven new categories of “‘wetlands of unusual importance” which provides them protection. Good thing as countless of these tiny to small, but amphibian-essential, pools, which are sometimes dry, have been destroyed, having been filled in and leveled for development.  

 Through funding from the Long Island Community Foundation (as it was known at the time; now it’s the New York Community Trust), the Seatuck Environmental Association undertook, with many other individuals and organizations through the framework of  “Vernal Pool Working Group,” an island-wide effort to locate and characterize all of the vernal pools situated on Long Island. 

Now completed, this project has identified about  350 pools from Queens to the west and the Montauk peninsula to the east.  A second phase of the project included the publication of a Landowner’s Guide to Vernal Pool Management providing recommendations for public and private property owners to better manage and protect their vernal pools and the species that utilize them.

One recommendation is to leave branches in the pond that have fallen in as they often are used by salamanders and frogs for sites to anchor their egg masses. Another is if your house has a  basement with window wells to put covers over the wells to prevent amphibians from falling in. Several years ago I rescued a tiger salamander from a house in Ridge that had fallen into just such a well, where it ultimately would have perished if left alone. 

Vernal pools are fascinating places to explore — little microcosms of ecosystems.  They are truly “wicked little puddles,”  beautiful and fascinating places in which to connect and explore the natural world that surrounds us all. I hope you find time to visit one.

A resident of Setauket, author John L. Turner is a naturalist, conservation co-chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, and Conservation Policy Advocate for the Seatuck Environmental Association.

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Pexels photo
A Column Promoting a More Earth-Friendly Lifestyle

By John L. Turner

John Turner

During their lives trees perform functions critical to the health of forests and its wildlife — providing oxygen to the atmosphere for the benefit of all animals including humans, preventing soil erosion and helping to enrich and aerate the soil, and producing food such as nuts, fruits, and seeds that nourish many species of wildlife. 

In death, trees continue to serve vital ecological functions; as the wood softens and the bark peels away from the trunk, the tree creates nesting and roosting habitat as bats and many insects and other invertebrates seek shelter under the bark as does one bird, the brown creeper, which builds it’s crescent shaped nest under large pieces of bark. Woodpeckers have an easier time excavating cavities in the trunk creating nesting habitat for themselves and more than 80 other species of North American birds. These cavities are used by many other wildlife including reptiles, amphibians, and, of course, many mammals like raccoons and flying squirrels. Condominiums in the tree canopy are available to many! 

As the wood softens further, breaking down from the elements of weather, fungus, bacteria and insects, the standing tree becomes a cafeteria too. Woodpeckers chip away the softened wood to feast on beetle grubs previously hidden beneath the surface and mammals feed on several types of shelf fungus that sprout from the trunk like the well known chicken-of-the-woods and hen-of-the-woods, two delicious mushrooms that humans like too!

Given all the benefits of dead trees, which collectively help to stabilize local ecosystems, the message is obvious — if you have dead trees on your property located out of harm’s way from structures such as your home, garden sheds, and the like, let the dead tree give life. If you do, you might be lucky enough to see a roosting screech owl or a flying squirrel gliding from one tree to another in the darkness

A resident of Setauket, author John L. Turner is a naturalist, conservation co-chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, and Conservation Policy Advocate for the Seatuck Environmental Association.

 

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The northern dusky salamander in Anita Lago’s hand when she found it on Sept. 1, 2024. Photo courtesy Anita Lago

By Sabrina Artusa

Anita Lago was walking along a stream leading to the emptied Stony Brook Mill Pond on Sept 1, overturned earth and strewn twigs littering her path, when she spotted a black object. Thinking it was a fishing lure she picked it up.  

“It was not a fishing lure, it had legs,” she said. 

Lago put it back and showed a picture of the salamander to John Turner of the Seatuck Environmental Association, who shared it with Smithtown High School East senior and Four Harbors Audubon Society board member Gabe Finger. Finger and Turner identified the salamander as a northern dusky salamander.

A light form of the northern dusky salamander. Photo courtesy John Turner

The northern dusky salamander isn’t known to live on Long Island — the only traces of it having existed on the island are nearly a century old. One of the only samples was secured by Long Island naturalist Roy Latham. 

Finger and Turner returned to the pond. Finger overturned a rock and found another. Wading in the stream, Turner and Finger found four more salamanders of two different morphs: two salamanders were darker gray and two were a lighter, sandier color. The genetic expression of the salamander allows for wide varying appearances, Turner said, just like people. 

The finding was pure “serendipity,” according to Turner. “No one was looking for it.” 

“It is remarkable for a species that is thought to be gone for almost a century and to still be here and to be here in a fairly suburban part of Long Island,” Turner said. “I would not think of Stony Brook as where you would find it. I would think it would be further out east, maybe by the pine barrens, and it is hiding in plain sight.”

Gabe Finger presenting the discovery of the salamander at the Long Island Natural History Conference at Stony Brook University on March 21. Photo courtesy SCSD

Finger, who will be attending Cornell University to study sustainability and wildlife biology. gave a presentation about the finding at a Long Island Natural History Conference at Stony Brook University on March 21. “Since I was very, very little I’ve always been just fascinated with animals and I knew from a very young age that all I wanted to do with my life was study animals,” he said. 

Since the salamanders found at the Stony Brook Mill Pond have likely been geographically separated from their ancestors for tens of thousands of years, it is possible that they evolved into a new species —an offshoot of the northern dusky salamander.

The northern dusky salamander resides in cold, trickling waters. The small, fast flowing tributaries of the North Shore fit these criteria: the streams aren’t in the sun long enough to get warm and are fast-flowing enough for a quick turnover of water. The salamander also lurks in the muddy stream banks, maybe hiding under a rock or log. 

Turner and Finger can’t pursue their studies further until they have permission to take a small toe clip of the salamander to study its DNA. “There’s been a lot of red tape to go through,” Finger said. 

Once they have a DNA sample and the salamanders become more active in the warmer weather, researchers can begin employing environmental DNA collection techniques to detect the presence of salamanders by simply testing the water of streams in which they potentially reside. 

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Pixabay photo

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine invites residents to participate in Suffolk County’s Spring 2025 Nature Walk Series. Residents may attend one or more of the Suffolk County’s “Exploring Health and Conservation” walks to explore the connection between health and our natural environment.

The Suffolk County Nature Walk Series is part of Suffolk County’s Active People, Healthy New York Action Plan to promote physical activity, increase access to public green spaces, and induce residents to improve their overall health.

Health professionals will speak about the importance of regular physical activity and environmental specialists will discuss the importance of preserving our environment and its relationship to the health of everyone in the community.

“We encourage all our residents and visitors to take care of their health by getting out, increasing their physical activity, and explore our beautiful open spaces here in Suffolk County,” said Executive Romaine.

“Walking in nature is a joy in itself, but the added bonus is that participants will have the opportunity to ask health questions, bird watch, and learn about the connection between our environment and our health,” said Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott.

The walks will take place on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon at the following times and locations. There will be no cost for the walks, entrance fees, or parking fees. Participants are advised to mention the walk at the entrance.

March 29, 2025: Lakeland County Park, 176 Johnson Ave., Islandia
Lakeland County Park is a 70 acre, fully accessible park facility was designed for the disabled and their families. It includes a nature trail-boardwalk over the head-waters of the Connetquot River, affording unique views of wetlands, vegetation, waterfowl and wildlife. Public restroom, leashed dogs allowed, picnic tables.

May 17, 2025: Belmont Lake State Park, 625 Belmont Ave., Southern State Parkway, Exit 38, North Babylon

Belmont Lake State Park is a 463-acre day-use park, featuring boating and picnicking facilities in addition to playing fields for popular sports. Two modern children’s playgrounds are also available. Pedestrian paths, bike paths, leashed dogs allowed.

May 31, 2025: Cordwood Landing County Park, Cedar Drive, Miller Place

Cordwood County Park is 70-acre park offering extensive hiking trails and access to the Long Island Sound for hikers, fishermen, sea combers and sunbathers. Leashed dogs allowed.

Date to be announced: Cranberry Bog Nature Preserve, 3675-2815 Lake Ave., Riverhead

Cranberry Bog Nature Preserve is a 165-acre preserve offers numerous hiking trails to view various plant life, birds species, reptiles and other local wildlife. Leashed dogs allowed.

To register, call the Suffolk County Department of Health Services at 631-854-0378 OR email [email protected]

To prepare for the Nature Walk:

  • Wear light-colored clothing, long pants and sleeves.
  • Consider using insect repellent.
  • Bring water.
  • Wear sunscreen with an SPF30 or higher, a brimmed hat and comfortable, supportive shoes (no flip flops).

While walking:

  • Stay in the center of the path.
  • Conduct frequent tick checks.

The Suffolk County Nature Walk Series is offered in collaboration with the Suffolk County Department of Health’s Office of Minority Health, Suffolk County Parks, New York State Parks, the Long Island Sound Study, Sea Grant, Alzheimer’s Association, SEPA Mujer,  Dare to Dream Community Outreach, Belmont Lake Civic Association, Inc., Fidelis Care, and the Suffolk County Alumni Chapter of Delta, Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.

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Children will learn about the environment, animals and plants through crafts and stories during the Pee Wee Gardening classes offered at the Holtsville Ecology Site & Animal Preserve.

In anticipation of Spring, Brookhaven Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro has announced upcoming dates for both pee-wee and adult gardening classes at the Holtsville Ecology Site & Animal Preserve, 249 Buckley Road, Holtsville beginning in April.

“In addition to being a great value, these classes are a fun and educational way to welcome Spring,” said Losquadro. “Children will learn about the environment, animals and plants through crafts and stories, while adult participants will learn how to start plants through propagation and create backyard flower arrangements.”

The adult horticulture classes will be held from 10 a.m. until noon on Thursday, April 3, 10, 24, and May 1 and 8. 

Participants in the pee-wee gardening classes, which are for children ages three to five, can choose from two five-week sessions: Tuesday, April 1, 8, 22, 29, and May 6, or Wednesday, April 2, 9, 23, 30, and May 7. Both classes are offered from either 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. or 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. and cost $50 for a five-week session. 

Registration is available through March 24 at www.BrookhavenNY.gov/RecOnline. For more information, call 631-451-5330.

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Volunteers helped to raise the osprey pole last Sunday. Photo from Legislator Steve Englebright’s office
Elaine Maas of Four Harbors Audubon Society puts the finishing touches on the nest structure. Photo from Leg. Steve Englebright's office
Volunteers helped to raise the osprey pole last Sunday. Volunteers helped to raise the osprey pole last Sunday. Photo from Councilmember Kornreich's office
Volunteers including Elaine Maas and Suffolk County Legislator Steve Englebright helped to raise the osprey pole last Sunday. Photo from Legislator Steven Englebright’s office
Volunteers helped to raise the osprey pole last Sunday. Photo from Councilmember Kornreich's office
Volunteers helped to raise the osprey pole last Sunday. Photo from Legislator Steve Englebright’s office
Volunteers helped to raise the osprey pole last Sunday. Photo from Legislator Steve Englebright’s office
Volunteers helped to raise the osprey pole last Sunday. Photo from Legislator Steve Englebright’s office
Volunteers helped to raise the osprey pole last Sunday. Photo from Legislator Steve Englebright’s office

Sometimes it takes a village.

Suffolk County Legislator Steven Englebright (D-Setauket) and Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) joined members of the Four Harbors Audubon Society (4HAS) and Three Village Dads Foundation for an osprey pole raising at the West Meadow Creek inlet in Stony Brook on March 9.

According to a joint press release from Englebright’s and Kornreich’s office, an osprey pole was recently removed from Suffolk County’s Old Field Farm. Despite successful nests in earlier years, 4HAS members observed in recent years that sporadic activity in the area surrounding the pole was scaring away adult ospreys for long periods, leaving the birds’ eggs or newborn chicks susceptible to predators.

Elaine Maas, 4HAS co-chair of co-Chair Education and Outreach, and John Turner, 4HAS co-chair of Conservation Committee, who both sit on the society’s board, brought the issue to the attention of Englebright. The county legislator reached out to the Suffolk County Parks Department to discuss relocating the pole to a nearby location. Maas and Turner also contacted Kornreich’s office to request using town property abutting the county park for a new pole in an area that is less accessible than the old nest.

On Saturday, March 1, concrete, water and a mixer were delivered to the Brookhaven property. JM Troffa Hardscape, Mason and Building Supply provided the concrete, while K. Dymond Industries lent the use of their equipment. Members of the Three Village Dads Foundation and 4HAS, along with Englebright and Kornreich, were on hand to dig a hole and set a pole sleeve in concrete for the new osprey pole.

Before the preparation for the new pole, the Suffolk County Parks Department removed the old one at Old Field Farm to prevent ospreys from nesting at this nonviable spot. 

Volunteers delivered the new 20-foot pole donated by Haig and Jack Seferian of Flagpoles, Inc., and the nest structure built by Elite Home Improvement to the site on Sunday, March 9. Three Village Dads Foundation and 4HAS members and Flagpole, Inc. also donated or paid for additional materials to cement and build the nest structure. The volunteers were again on hand, preparing the nest box for the birds and raising the pole. 

Maas and Turner were among the volunteers on March 1 and 9. Maas said the pole was raised just in time as the ospreys, who migrate south to Florida or South American in the winter, usually return to Long Island around St. Patrick’s Day. She added she was “grateful for the widespread community support.”

Kornreich thanked the members of Three Village Dads Foundation and its chairman, David Tracy, as well as 4HAS.

“We were up against a time crunch because the ospreys start nesting in a few weeks, and the Dads really delivered,” Kornreich said. “Thank you to Elaine Maas and John Turner from Four Harbors for bringing this situation to our attention, and we are glad we were able to help connect the dots and find a solution.”

Englebright echoed the sentiments.

“It was good to see the community come together in the interest of protecting these remarkable birds,” the legislator said.

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Photo from Emma Clark Library

Recycle and Help the Library Earn a Free Bench

Photo from Emma Clark Library

Emma Clark Library, 120 Main St., Setauket is participating in the NexTrex® Community Recycling Challenge, in collaboration with the Suffolk Library System. Library visitors are encouraged to deposit their plastic film (e.g. plastic bags, bread bags, bubble wrap, cereal bags, etc.) in the bin located in the Library’s vestibule.

If the community collects & recycles 1,000+ pounds in a year, Emma Clark Library will receive a free bench made from these materials. The Library started this challenge on March 1, 2025. All plastic must be clean, dry, and free of food residue. For more information on what is accepted, please visit emmaclark.org/nextrexchallenge.

For more information, call 631-941-4080

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Butterfly and bee feeding on a flower

As spring 2025 approaches, gardeners embrace a fresh wave of trends celebrating sustainability, native plants, and striking color palettes. This year, gardening enthusiasts are moving away from manicured perfection, opting for nature-driven designs that support pollinators, reduce maintenance, and enhance biodiversity.

Native Gardening & Pollinator-Friendly Plants
Home gardeners and landscapers increasingly prioritize native plants to create ecosystems that sustain local wildlife. Flowers such as Milkweed, Coneflowers, and Bee Balm dominate garden spaces, drawing in bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds while requiring less water and care. The growing awareness of declining pollinator populations has inspired a movement toward planting species that nourish and shelter these essential creatures.

Bold Colors & Vibrant Blooms
While past years favored soft pastels, 2025 is all about deep reds, electric blues, and golden yellows. Gardeners gravitate toward plants like Red Hot Poker, Cardinal Flower, and Goldenrod to add dramatic contrast and visual interest. Whether in perennial beds or container gardens, this year’s gardens are set to be a celebration of bold expression.

Edible Landscapes & Food Security
The farm-to-table trend has moved beyond the kitchen and into backyard gardens. More homeowners are integrating fruit-bearing trees, berry bushes, and edible perennialsinto traditional landscapes, allowing beauty and function. Blueberry shrubs, fig-trees, and edible flowers like Nasturtiums are making their way into front yards, blurring the line between ornamental and edible gardening.

Moss & Ground Cover for Eco-Friendly Lawns
Traditional lawns are replaced with low-maintenance, eco-friendly alternatives like moss and native ground covers. Homeowners are seeking Creeping Thyme, Pennsylvania Sedge, and Irish Moss to create lush, green carpets that require little water, eliminate the need for mowing, and provide habitat for beneficial insects.

Vertical Gardening & Small Space Solutions
With urban living on the rise, small-space gardening innovations are booming. Living walls, trellis gardens, and hanging planters redefine how people maximize limited areas. Vertical gardening allows city dwellers and suburban homeowners to grow vegetables, herbs, and flowers in compact, stylish ways.

As we move into 2025, gardening trends reflect a deeper connection to nature, sustainability, and personal expression,” says Tammy Sons at TN Nursery.“Whether through pollinator-friendly plants, vibrant color choices, or eco-conscious landscaping, this spring is about cultivating gardens that are as purposeful as beautiful.”

TN Nursery has been a leading gardener and nursery industry leader for 66 years, providing high-quality plants, expert advice, and eco-conscious solutions for gardeners of all levels.

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