Autumn is a meaningful theme for writing poetry and painting. Where better than the 19 acres of Long Island’s prairie (once 60,000 acres), and Hempstead Plains at Nassau Community College in Garden City, with its vivid display of floral colors and warm browns of tall grasses.

Poets and painters have this opportunity at the annual fall prairie Poetry Writing and painting workshops offered by the Friends of Hempstead Plains at Nassau Community College, Inc., 9:30 A.M. to 1:00 P.M., Sat., Sept. 11.

To register and for directions E-mail info@friendsofhp.org or phone 516 572-7570. Fee is $10.00. Bring outdoor chair and brown bag lunch. Refreshments served.

Prof. of Biology Betsy Gulotta, leads a field walk identifying the flowers and grasses including the only Federally endangered flower species in New York State, the Sandplain Gerardia, member of the snapdragon family with delicate pink flowers. The flower painting workshop participants will concentrate on that species under the direction of Harriet Carotenuto, Garden City, who has exhibited in England, Germany and Japan as well as throughout the United States. Maxwell C. Wheat, Jr., Freeport, Nassau County’s first Poet laureate, is guiding the poetry writing.

Jerry Ahern, Sea Cliff, folksinger, guitarist and composer will sing his Long Island and Hempstead Plains songs.