Seatuck Service Project offers Glimpse into the Future
By Jessica Kratz, Metro Region Chair, NYSOEA
Coordinator, Greenbelt Nature Center, Staten Island
On April 6th, Metro Region members mixed business with service as the meeting was held outside, on the sunny but muddy trail near the new Suffolk County Environmental Center. Members removed logs and other woody remnants of the mid-March storm that wreaked havoc throughout the region, relocated duck walks, created a turtle basking area, and consolidated and relocated a brush pile away from the new trail to reduce the risk of finding lone star ticks. This spring spruce-up project was done in preparation for the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, when the new Suffolk County Environmental Center at the County’s Scully Estate opened to the public. Building renovations are complete and the nature center officially opened to the public on April 22, 2010, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.
From the late 1880′s until the early part of the 20th century, the 70-acre Scully Estate was part of Windholme Farm, a nearly 300-acre “gentleman’s farm” that also included the 200-acre Seatuck National Wildlife Refuge on the east side of South Bay Avenue. The estate was donated to Suffolk County to be used for nature preservation and education. Seatuck, a NYSOEA affiliate member, will operate a full-service nature center at Scully with offerings for the entire community, expanding its current programs to include the full range of educational and cultural opportunities one expects from a nature center, and will include will include exhibits, displays, program areas, a nature library and gift shop, as well as a network of trails and boardwalks that will be open to the public. The Environmental Center is a great place to experience and learn more about the ecological wonders of Long Island.
Metro region members had an opportunity to talk briefly with some of the board and staff members of Seatuck as well as have a sneak preview tour of the new facility and current trails. The outdoor portion of the tour was filled with many signs of spring, including hungry deer grazing and solitary bee holes in the ground. We were also treated to some amazing bird watching, courtesy of Mother Nature, including a yellow-shafted flicker and even an osprey. During this tour, Peter Walsh discussed how this facility will allow greater connection to the community, such as through early childhood programs leaving an imprint in the youngest naturalists to community service opportunities for high schoolers in the nearby neighborhoods on Saturdays, and we envisioned the possibilities for future Saturday service projects with teenagers [future NYSOEA members!] and other local residents as well as other possible events, and maybe even the 2012 conference, which will be held in the Metro Region.
Great to think of this early April service project on this hot (almost) summer day. I am sure the trails at Seatuck have had thousands of [human] visitors and hopefully dozens of basking turtles as well!