HOPE volunteers at the GC Bird Sanctuary The Garden City High School Environmental Club, “HOPE” provided a much needed emergency field program at the Garden City Bird Sanctuary. Thanks to a generous donation from Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, in Gloucester, Virginia, the Bird Sanctuary received a shipment of three crates totaling over 1000 bulbs. The donation included 250 daffodil and narcissus bulbs, 400 tulip bulbs as well as over 500 bulbs of various species native to North America. The native bulbs include varieties such as camassia quamash, allium atropurpureum, and triteleia hyacinthia which are much needed as the Bird Sanctuary expands its efforts to foster educational programs demonstrating gardening with native plants. Brent and Becky’s Bulbs is a major retailer and offered the bulbs to the nonprofit Bird Sanctuary at the end of their retail season at Christmas. To view Brent and Becky’s Bulbs online catalogue, log onto www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com.

HOPE volunteers planting tulip and daffodil bulbs at the Bird Sanctuary The problem for the Bird Sanctuary was how to organize an effort to plant the multitude of bulbs before the ground froze for the winter. Fortunately, the weather cooperated with a warm afternoon and the Garden City High School’s HOPE club, “Hands on Protection of the Environment” volunteered to help. On Sunday January 9, 2005, GCBS President Rob Alvey, and GCBS member Kim Wegener, met at the HOPE volunteers at Bird Sanctuary. During the afternoon areas were dug out by the “Big Sister” corner along the trail and the bulbs were planted in groups. Two small stone rockwalls were built into the slope to mark the planting locations and cart loads of compost and mulch were brought to the area as backfill. The native bulbs were also grouped by a nesting box near the corner and backfilled.

HOPE volunteers Kali Blanco, Meaghan Wallace, Samantha Zimmer, Brian Way, and Tom Verderber at the Bird Sanctuary Volunteers included Erin and KC Alvey, Courtney Alford, Jennifer Yoo, Ryan Chow, Pam Wegener, Meaghan Wallace, Samantha Zimmer, Kristen and Scott McElroy, Will Ruddy, Brian Way, Tom Verderber, and Kali Blanco. The HOPE club, under the direction of Garden City teacher Doug Sheer, has numerous activities planned for the Spring, including a potential visit to Avalon Park and Nature Conservancy Preserve in Stony Brook. The students have also expressed interest in helping at Garden City Bird Sanctuary’s May 14th 10th Anniversary Festival. The GC Bird Sanctuary extends its thanks to HOPE and Brent and Beckys Bulbs and urges residents to stop by in the Spring for a view of thousands of flowers!

Volunteers Will Ruddy, Samantha Zimmer, Scott McElroy, Erin Alvey, Pam and Kim Wegener, Kristen McElroy, Meaghan Wallace, and K.C. Alvey

Tom Verderber and Brian Way digging area for bulb planting.Jennifer Yoo and Ryan Chow with some of the native bulb species