Garden City Cub Pack 55 Scouts and their leaders enjoy a working agricultural windmill during their Earth Day hike at the Norman J. Levy Park & Preserve in Merrick. Pictured, from left, are: James Smith, Zachary Debler, Pack 55 Leaders Kim DeMaro and Stefan Debler, and Scouts: Trey Puentes, Michael Bereswill, Joseph Bereswill, Liam Gaffney, Ethan DePalma, Timmy DeMaro, Colin McVicar and, in the foreground, James DeMaro. Cub Scouts from Garden City Pack 55 celebrated Earth Day 2010 by hiking along the scenic and informative Norman J. Levy Park & Preserve in Merrick, where - atop the 115 ft. high hill - they were treated to breathtaking sunset views of the New York City skyline and nearby ocean beaches and waterways.

Guided by Pack 55 Cub Leader Kim DeMaro and the Long Island Greenbelt Trail Conference’s Shari Zagorski, the scouts, family and friends enjoyed a three mile walk through the 52 acre preserve, where they passed beautiful black locust, poplar, white birch and red cedar trees, and learned firsthand the importance of recycling and resource reclamation. The entire site, which once was one of the largest landfills on Long Island, now serves as a thriving plant and wildlife sanctuary.

Garden City Pack 55 Cub Scout Ronnie Marciano and his mother, AnnMarie, pause for a breather at a scenic trail overlook with views of the Manhattan skyline. According to Mrs. DeMaro, “One of the most popular stops along our journey is probably its most visible - a working agricultural windmill, which is used to circulate water in two nearby ponds that provide a haven for fresh water fish and other creatures, including a wide variety of beautiful birds, frogs, snakes, foxes and turtles.”

Cub Pack 55, which is sponsored by the nationally renowned Cathedral of the Incarnation in the heart of the village, is an interdenominational organization dedicated to providing ongoing cultural, educational and social fun and enrichment for boys in grades 1 through 5, who attend any elementary school in Garden City. To learn more about how to join Cub Pack 55, participate in future hikes, and enjoy its numerous other programs, contact: Pack Leader Kim DeMaro at 741-4760, email: kdemaro@aol.com.