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June 2024





























Plants for our pollinators


June brings our attention to the key role of pollinators. June 17 through June 23 is Pollinator Week across the nation. Master Gardeners in the Suffolk Alliance for Pollinators (SAP) are hosting a series of six garden tours or crawls, starting during Pollinator Week. Each of these tours is self-guided. The location of the other sites on the tours will be provided at the initial garden. Master Gardeners and others will be at each site to answer questions.


As we'd like to engage more Suffolk residents in the conversation about building pollinator pathways in our yards and public spaces, the tours are free and open to the general public. No prior registration is required. Mark your calendars for these field trips at public properties and private residences. Bring a neighbor or a friend!


Here are the details below.










SUMMER GARDEN TOURS & CRAWLS







WESTHAMPTON

  • Thursday, June 20, 2024, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Join the Suffolk Alliance for Pollinators for a tour of public and private gardens. Gardeners will demonstrate how native plants have been incorporated in the landscape to create pollinator and/or rain gardens.

 

The tour begins at the Quogue Library at 9am.  


Rain date: June 25, same time

Contact: Master Gardener Alicia Whitaker  awhitaker196@gmail.com


SOUTHAMPTON WATER MILL

 Tuesday, June 25, 10am-1pm

 Tour begins at 11 Lake Drive, Southampton.

 

Four private native gardens and two public gardens are featured on this tour. A Monarch Way Station at the Halsey House and a native plant garden honoring Veterans at the Southampton Fire station are included. Other locations provided at the tour start site.

 

Rain date: June 27, same time

Contact: Master Gardener Joan Dimonda Jadimonda5@gmail.com

 

YAPHANK MEDFORD

Saturday, June 29,   10 am - 1 pm

 

Join the Suffolk Alliance for Pollinators guided tours of three public gardens: the Medford Train Station at the Medford Memorial Park on Railroad Avenue; the Children’s Garden at the Suffolk County Farm & Education Center, 350 Yaphank Road, Yaphank; and the Hawkins House Garden at 4 Yaphank Road (Route 21), Yaphank. Begin at any of the three gardens.

 

For more information, call Master Gardener Kathy Dhundale (631) 721-5676 or kvdnp50@hotmail.com


Rain date: June 30, same time


NORTH FORK

Saturday, July 13, 9am-12pm. 


Begin at any of these gardens: 1489 Sound Ave., Baiting Hollow, Custer Institute, 1115 Main Bayview Rd., Southold, or North Fork Audubon, 65275 County Rd. 48, Greenport.


Join the North Fork Suffolk Alliance for Pollinators for a self-guided tour of public and private gardens. Our gardens will show gardens in various stages of transformation to eliminate invasive species, incorporate more natives and provide habitats for wildlife. Maps of the other locations will be available at any of the three beginning point gardens. 


Rain date: July 14, same time


Contact- NF SAP at northforksap@gmail.com

For continued information and updates, follow us on IG-northforksap and Facebook- North Fork SAP  

 

BAY SHORE BRIGHTWATERS

Tuesday, July 30 10am-1pm


Start at Bay Shore-Brightwaters Public Library’s Pollinator Garden, corner of Windsor Ave & Main St., Brightwaters


Explore several local pollinator-friendly habitats that promote biodiversity through good gardening practices. Other destinations will be provided at the first site.


Rain date: August 1, same time

Contact: Master Gardener Nancy Hoffman nancyjhoffman@gmail.com

 

HUNTINGTON

Thursday, August 22 10am-1pm


The tour begins in Kubecka Community Garden, 95-99 Dunlap Rd, Huntington.


Join us as we demonstrate the beauty and benefits of planting natives in public and residential gardens to increase pathways for our pollinators and foster a biodiverse environment.


Rain date: August 23, same time


Contact: Master Gardener Hope Kranidis hkranidis@gmail.com

 

Lessons from the Rain Garden at Rocky Point Historical Society


 

MASTER GARDENER TRAINEES in ACTION


Some of you recall the weekly tests and final exams that were part of the Master Gardener Training experience. These periodic tests have been replaced by Action Projects. An Action Project is exactly what the name implies. The MGs in training are responsible for a comprehensive exploration of a gardening issue or concern in their community or some kind of gardening educational outreach. During the 16 week training, participants identify problems, develop educational proposals, and discuss troubleshooting alternatives with site representatives.


Here are a few examples from the Class of 2024. Rain garden renovation and installation, rain water collection, vernal pool appreciation, success at community vegetable gardens, historic garden revival, enhanced food security, monarch habitat restoration, town land use change for pollinators, school garden success, and youth education at demonstration garden destinations.


What makes these Action Projects so successful? Class members developed a plan of action with other class members, drawing on the collective insights of that group. What a wonderful opportunity to build an esprit de corps among the new MGs. In addition, where appropriate, the MG trainees reached out to MG leaders at approved sites for direction. This year a good number of you have offered assistance throughout the course. Let me thank MGs Jane Corrarino, Amanda Lerch, Deb Kimmelman, Carolyn Gee, Edith Mahler, Hope Kranidis, Charlie Bevington, Celeste Topazio, Alicia Whitaker, and Patty McQuinan for the guidance offered to the members of the newest MG class. 


The plan of action also relies on a timetable befitting the project. Some Action Projects will be in place as soon as this summer with paper making for children at a summer camp on the North Fork and docent tours at Longhouse Garden. The makeover of the Ronkonkoma LIRR station rain garden is on schedule for the next couple of months. Others Action Projects such as landscape restorations at Kubecka Gardens will require a year or more of planning before implementation.


FIELD TRIP TO BRENTWOOD


This year Environmental Steward Amanda Furcall led us to key sites on the Brentwood property of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. We began at the Long Island Native Plant Initiative "Founder's Plot" where we learned about the ongoing task of regenerating local LI native plant strains. At the LINPI greenhouses, Maggie Muzante explained the process of propagating and nurturing local native plants. Cassidy Kirsch from Long Island Harvest invited Master Gardeners to help her prepare and train the community members who volunteer for a day in this acre food garden. Many of these volunteers have zero garden experience. If a Master Gardener is on site, Cassidy relies on the Master Gardener to help her demonstrate the basics of the gardening chores for that day.


Amanda then guided us to the sustainability projects on the southern side of the 200 acre property. We viewed a roadside rain garden, part of the Cosmic Path through the woodland preservation area, the wastewater treatment area and the adjacent solar array which supplies much of the electricity used on the property. We also viewed the innovative liquid waste treatment area that collects waste piped from most of the buildings across the entire site. What looks like a large depression of plant materials (in the photos below) is actually filtering the stream of waste and thereby reducing the nitrogen headed to our groundwater. At our final stop, Amanda explained the first planned and successful grassland burn.







SUMMER CAMP

Children's Garden

Suffolk Farm, Yaphank

Wednesdays

10-noon, July 10-August 21


Master Gardeners are back with a Summer Camp program. Know any children who might enjoy this experience?

Ages 5-12

$80 for one child, $60 for each sibling

REGISTER HERE



Cornell Cooperative Extension

REQUIRED ANNUAL

VOLUNTEER PAPERWORK



Like many organizations, Cornell Extension requires its volunteers to complete paperwork EVERY YEAR for matters of safety, accountability and insurance. You're asked questions like do you understand and respect the Cornell Extension mission. The last few years I’ve been quietly reminding Master Gardeners about updating the required annual CCE paperwork. Uncertainties during the pandemic and then changes in HR staff at Cornell Extension got in the way. It’s now the moment for me to get all active MG volunteers back on the right path. 


Completing the annual paperwork is easier than ever as the text has been reduced by half and you can provide answers online with write-to forms. All Master Gardeners, except the Class of 2024, need to submit the annual paperwork. Given that MGs volunteer in communities, every three years a background check is also required. This has become a more secure and seamless process initiated once the annual paperwork is submitted. 


Some of you have received a note from CCE Human Resources office to complete the paperwork. Here’s the link for others to complete this process. https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.cce.cornell.edu/attachments/65651/Volunteer__Renewel_Form.pdf?1707831238

Any questions? Please contact Melissa Servedio at suffolkvolunteer@cornell.edu.

 

REPORTING VOLUNTEER HOURS

This is a different matter than annual paperwork.

Please count your volunteer hours. Here's the link to the MG volunteer survey.




Note: Some Master Gardeners are NOT receiving this newsletter on a regular basis, yours truly included.

WHY?

This is likely due to changes in YOUR internet browser. One solution that works some of the time: a different email address.


Please send me your current email address that I will delete and a different one that I will add. Again, this is not always a solution.


The other option is to read the MG Newsletter on the CCE website linked here

CONTINUING EDUCATION


The Ketcham Inn Gardeners will be hosting a talk on the 'Spotted Lanternfly' on Friday, June 21st at 10 am. Limited space availability for Suffolk Master Gardeners. Contact Jane Corrarino janecorrarino@yahoo.com if interested.


Join a couple of the Suffolk Alliance for Pollinators field trips described above in this newsletter during June, July and August.


Learn how you might develop a pollinator garden or a rain garden at your home or demonstration Master Gardener site.








 

Planting at the Northport VA Facility


MG Michael Gornicki was joined by MGs Nancy Hoffman and Carolyn Gee who assisted the residents in planting at their site. The rain deterred none of them!


Tell a Master Gardener not receiving this newsletter that it's posted on our MG webpage:

Click here:

http://ccesuffolk.org/gardening/master-gardener-volunteers


If you have photos, events and news to share in the newsletter, please email me at rz378@cornell.edu


Happy Gardening!

Roxanne Zimmer


 423 Griffing Avenue, Suite 100, Riverhead, NY 11901-3071
631-727-7850

Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities.
 
Cornell Cooperative Extension is funded in part by Suffolk County through the office of the County Executive, and the County Legislature. 

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