Adelphi And HOPE - Earth Week Tree Planting At Bird Sanctuary

HOPE President K.C. Alvey with Adelphi's Laura Napoli and students clearing the fence.

The first phase of the Community Tree Planting grant project under the New York State Dept of Environmental Conservation's Urban and Community Forestry program was completed on Earth Day weekend, April 21 and 22. On Saturday, students from Adelphi University's Environmental Action Coalition joined Garden City High School's HOPE environmental club to dig and plant roughly 40 shrubs and trees bordering the Bird Sanctuary and the Village occupied soccer field. Decades of neglect since the Village bulldozed and leveled part of the Nassau County stormwater basin property in the early 1970's to construct the soccer field, left a major area in the Bird Sanctuary with a mess. The fence bordering the two areas had become completely entangled with vines and trees, and the only trees growing were sickly "weed" trees of black cherry, Norway maple, and plenty of poison ivy and invasive oriental bittersweet.

After using volunteer labor to cut down and clear the 175 foot long area, nearly 25 cubic yards of new topsoil and compost were delivered and spread in the area. New trees such a yellowwood and Carolina Silverbell were purchased along with American Holly, Arizona Cypress, red twig dogwood, and winterberry. The trees and shrubs were planted as part of Earth Day- Arbor Day week. K.C. Alvey, President of the High School's HOPE Club joined Adelphi's Amanda Anjum with several students and friends for the day. They were joined by Laura Napoli and Joe DiLallo, Adelphi's new student members of the Garden City Bird Sanctuary Board of Directors. Additional volunteers ffrom GCHS included Pamela Wegener, Brian Way, Kristen Sagevick, Gemma Donofrio, Samantha Zimmer, and Andrew Nanyakkara. Bird Sanctuary Directors Stephanie Bird, Rob Alvey, and Carolyn and Tom Rechner were also on hand. Adelphi's Environmental Action Coalition was also represented by Gabriella Buscemi, John Zunlewski, Stephanie Haslbauer, Sharon Ferst, Nikoletta Kavallieru, Michele Dowling, Dorren Day, Mary Flaute, and Ben Lauder. USEPA project manager Julio Vazquez also brought his wife and daughter to plant a tree for Earth Day and take a tour of the 9 acre preserve.

Garden City High School HOPE Club students start the planting

Not all the trees and shrubs were planted during the Saturday event, but the day was a total success since another group of volunteers from Timberland Stores in Roosevelt Field was scheduled to come on Sunday. During the next few weeks, they need mulching and watering as the Bird Sanctuary gets set for a site celebration on Friday May 18th. The neighborhood is invited to come to the Bird sanctuary opposite 181 Tanners pond Road from 2 to 4:30PM to meet the 2007 Environmental Stewardship Awardee Betsy Gulotta, NYS Assemblyman Tom McKevitt, and hero of the day, Bobby Horvarth. Bobby is a NYC Fireman that founded a wildlife rescue organization on Long Island, Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation. And will bring live hawks, owls, and falcons that he and his volunteers rescue, nurse back to health, and release back into the wild. The program is free, but please call 326-1720 to accept our invitation.

Adelphi University Environmental Action students helping to plant the trees

Adelphi students getting the ground ready for planting cypress trees