Blog
Inspiring a Conservation Ethic
If you did, you very likely understand the value of preserving Long Island’s beautiful environment. But for those without these formative experiences, there’s a good chance that conserving working farms, natural areas, pristine beaches, ponds and woodlands are a low priority, or possibly not even on their radar. Why should people care about our work if they haven’t experienced the benefits, the joys, and the stories and places we’ve helped conserve? Such was the realization of the Trust in 2004.
That was the year we began a series of introspective meetings of our newly created Strategic Visioning Committee comprised of several staff and Board members interested in helping plan for the foreseeable future of the Trust. We realized there were many people across Long Island who didn’t really know what a Land Trust was, what the work of the Peconic Land Trust was all about, the challenges we faced, and why they should help us. Experiencing the land, meeting the farmers, paddling the waters, and enjoying restorative time in nature was missing from their daily life.
“People are motivated to save what they love, but you can’t love the natural beauty that surrounds us or the productive farmlands or even the history of this place (both good and bad) unless you experience it – that is what Connections does. Connections links us to the land and waters but also to each other.”
Board Member Nancy Gilbert
From Farms...
From the beginning, Connections programs offered a fun way to learn about and meet local farmers — highlighting each family’s story, their amazing variety of products, and providing multiple opportunities for you to discover new growers and producers of delicious, local items. From dairy, goats and chickens, to honey, apples, flowers, oysters and clams, to awardwinning wine, and more unique items like snails, asparagus, and hops, Long Island’s farmers have a lot to offer, and farm tours were just the beginning! But Connections has always been more than just farm tours.
“Over the 20 years of Connections events, I’ve had the pleasure of introducing people to our beautiful waterways by paddlecraft: from the Peconic River to Napeague Harbor, and nine other estuaries, ponds and tidal creeks in between. These outings generally had “nature themes”, such as signs of spring or fall migration, or a focal species we searched for including Diamondback Terrapins and Horseshoe Crabs. Although Connections offers a wide variety of programs, they all share a very important, common goal: to encourage the best possible stewardship of our landscape and the native plants and animals that reside here.”
Mike Bottini, Wildlife Biologist with Seatuck and a frequent program partner over the years.
To Fields and So Much More...
Looking back to the summer of 2005, you may have participated in a presentation on owls, a nature hike exploring wetland plants, a discussion on solar for East End homeowners or a workshop on winterizing your gardening equipment. Hopefully over the years you have enjoyed many opportunities to get out on a woodland trail, to paddle local waterways, to explore local beaches and to hear from naturalists, botanists, scientists and other outdoor enthusiasts that expanded your knowledge. The arts have also played an important role, with our natural environments explored through the lens of film, sculpture and painting – especially our decade-long partnership with Plein Air
Peconic.
Woven throughout these fun, interactive experiences is the story of the Trust’s conservation work: the challenges and successes as we work to understand the goals of landowners open to a conservation outcome, broader community need, and how partnerships with both government and partner organizations can be leveraged.
In addition, Connections programs also shine a light on the important stewardship work that occurs after conservation, including creation of walking trails, removal of invasive species to support more native plants, pollinators and wildlife, and providing farmland for lease to new or expanding local farmers.
More recently, we’ve focused on expanding our reach to communities with whom we have had less interaction by scheduling specific engagement activities for youth in summer camps and school organizations, and creating partnerships with Niamuck Land Trust, CAST, OLA, The Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreation Center, and others. Over the years, the Trust has partnered with over 120 organizations, farms, scientists, and environmental educators to bring nature home.
Thank you to all for your support and engagement!
