Exciting August Events - Join us in the Greenbelt!
Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt
August 2022
Thank You for Showing Your Support for the LPG
Thanks to all who showed up! And to those who wrote letters! PSEG’s proposed underground drilling through the Long Pond Greenbelt was robustly opposed by everyone who spoke at the public hearing in late June. You can see good media coverage here for the 27 East article, here for the East Hampton Star’s and here for the 27 East editorial. And if you’d like to see the complete proceedings for yourself, the livestream can be viewed here.
In the next stage of the SEQRA process, PSEG will respond to the comments made at the hearing and letters sent during the public comment period in what’s called the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), which is expected in early September.
But in the meanwhile we need to keep up the pressure, and here’s how you can help:
Send your letters directly to LIPA, the lead agency on this project, at boardoftrustees@lipower.org. Ask them to choose an alternative route that would bypass the Long Pond Greenbelt entirely. The Long Pond Greenbelt, a coastal plain pond ecosystem that supports one of the highest concentrations of rare flora and fauna in New York State and on whose preservation Southampton Town, Suffolk County, and the Nature Conservancy have spent millions and millions to preserve over the past fifty years, must be protected! The best route to bypass the Long Pond Greenbelt entirely is the one PSEG calls Alternative 3: the Southern Underground Route, which would take the cables south along the Bridgehampton/Sag Harbor Turnpike then east along Montauk Highway.
Help us organize a street demonstration. Contact us at greenbeltnews@aol.com if you want to pitch in.
Thank you again for working to protect the Long Pond Greenbelt!
Don't Miss FLPG's 25th Anniversary Celebration
Friday, August 19, 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Hans Van de Bovenkamp's
Sculpture Garden and Studio
Space is limited - RSVP Required
Only a Few Spots Left!
FLPG members are invited to a special reception to celebrate our 25th anniversary hosted by world-renowned sculptor Hans Van de Bovenkamp. Guests will enjoy a private tour of Mr. Van de Bovenkamp’s sculpture garden and studio, as well as hors d’oeuvres by Janet O’ Brien Caterers and wines donated by Wölffer Estate Vineyard.
Celebration ticket: $50 per person. No children under 12. Please RSVP to greenbeltnews@aol.com with subject line “Celebration” and send payment via Pay Pal on our website (or click here). Space is limited. Ticket is not guaranteed until payment is received. No tickets will be sold at door. Questions? Contact Board Member Meghan Moore at 773-495-8982 or meghanmoorekatz@gmail.com.
2022 Sundays at Two Lecture Series Continues
Owls - Hunters of the Night, with Jim Ash
Sunday, August 21, 2:00 p.m.
Long Pond Greenbelt Nature Center
1061 Bridgehampton/Sag Harbor Turnpike
On Sunday, August 21, Jim Ash, an experienced birder as well as honorary FLPG Board Member and Vice President of SOFO, will talk about owls – their unique anatomical structures and physical abilities – and what makes them so different from other bird species. He will also discuss which owls can be found on Long Island and how, when, and where you can find them.
If you missed it...
On Sunday, July 17, locavore and activist Mary Morgan presented at Sundays at Two on the Power of Choice - how individual choices can help achieve“drawdown”— the future point in time when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline. In particular, Ms. Morgan shared with us how she has set a personal goal to reduce her household food waste to zero, since food waste is a significant contributor to the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. If you missed Ms. Morgan's presentation at Sundays at Two, her PowerPoint is available on our website during August. Check it out!
Photos from Events in July
Plant Walk with Chenae Bullock on July 10
25th Anniversary Event - 2/3 for the Birds,
Tour of Edwina von Gal's Marshouse Garden on July 28
CORRECTION: Dragonfly Day News
In our July newsletter, we incorrectly reported that Helen Roussel of the Sustainable Southampton Green Advisory Committee accepted a Proclamation from NYS Assemblyman Fred Thiele on behalf of Southampton Town. Ms. Roussel actually accepted a Proclamation on behalf of herself and the environmental scientists who assisted her with researching and drafting Dragonfly Day legislation in 2016.
Upcoming Events in August
Important: to register, please email greenbeltnews@aol.comor call (as noted in event detail). Dress appropriately for ticks.
Saturday, August 6 – Adopt a Patch Work Session, 10AM. Join us as we all work on cutting down any invasives growing in our assigned Patch. Don’t have a Patch yet - one can be assigned to you! Meet at the South Fork Natural History Museum (SOFO) parking lot, 377 Bridgehampton/ Sag Harbor Turnpike, Bridgehampton. Please bring gloves and dress against ticks. All ages and skills are welcome! For more information or to confirm attendance, contact Greg Bellafiore at 631-283-1200.
Monday, August 8 – FLPG Monthly Meeting, 5:30 p.m. All are welcome. Zoom:
Thursday, August 11 – Full Sturgeon Super Moon Hike, 8:30-9:30 p.m. Co-sponsored by FLPG and SOFO. Join FLPG and SOFOon a leisurely-paced hike through open-field trails. The Native American fishing tribes are given credit for the naming of this moon, since sturgeon were most readily caught during this month. A few tribes knew it as the Full Red Moon because, as the moon rises, it appears reddish through any sultry haze. Meet at the SOFO parking lot, 377 Bridgehampton/Sag Harbor Turnpike, 200 yards north of the RR tracks. Leader: Dai Dayton, 631-745-0689.
Friday, August 19 – FLPG 25th Anniversary Celebration, hosted by Hans Van de Bovenkamp at his Sculpture Garden and Studio, 5:00-7:00 p.m. FLPG members are invited to celebrate our 25th anniversary with a private tour of Mr. Van de Bovenkamp's sculpture garden. Hors d'oeuvres by Janet O'Brien Caterers and wines donated by Wölffer Estate Vineyard will be served. RSVP and ticket purchase required. Details to the left.
Saturday, August 20 – Old Farm Road Cleanup, 8:00 a.m. Help clean up the roadside along FLPG’s adopted road. Meet at Poxabogue Park, 191 Old Farm Road, Sagaponack. Bring gloves, bags provided. For more info contact Peter Wilson, 631-553-1393.
Sunday, August 21 –Sundays at Two Lecture Series, Owls – Hunters of the Night, with Jim Ash, 2:00 p.m. LPG Nature Center, 1061 Bridgehampton/Sag Harbor Turnpike. Details to the left.
Sunday August 28 – Little Long PondHike, 9:00-10:30 a.m. Meet midway on Laurel Lane, Sag Harbor. Moderately-paced 3-mile hike with views of Little Long Pond and Mosquito Pond. Leader: Dai Dayton, 631-745-0689.
Sunday, August 28 - Final Place & Story/Humanities New York Reading Group, 2:00 p.m. This month's book selection is The Ninemile Wolves, by Rick Bass. Zoom link:
