Why not EPCAL? That’s the question I want to try to answer in this month’s 12 for 12, which is also a crossover with our weekly posts about The Best of the Rest posts. EPCAL, of course, is one of the largest parcels that we identified as part of that initiative as one that desperately needs to be permanently preserved. It stands out from many of the other parcels partly due to its ecology – it is a vast grassland in the midst of succession, rather than a fully-grown Pine Barrens forest – and partly because it is already owned by local government, in this case the Town of Riverhead, and entirely accessible to the public. You can go to EPCAL right now, and enjoy its sweeping vistas and unique wildlife, but at any time this place could be sold off and developed. But why should it? When we talk about places that should be set aside for conservation, why not EPCAL?
The gate to access EPCAL sits just beside the point where Line Road intersects with Grumman Boulevard, in Calverton. The name of the street gives a hint as to the place’s history. Many years ago, it was an airstrip where the Northrop Grumman Corporation operated an airfield from which fighter jets bound for the US Navy were tested. The airstrip is still there, complete with the occasional traffic cone and paint lines delineating the fire lane, but the stone below is cracked, and there are no more fighter jets tearing through the sound barrier above. Although the strip is vast, the grasslands that surround it are vaster yet, and walking alone along the edge of the wild, I was amazed at the feelings it inspired. Where once instruments of remarkable violence were sharpened, and the so-called “art” of war refined, there is now only a fading memory as Mother Nature works slowly and steadily to reclaim her own.
Besides the grass seeping through the cracks in the stone, the progression of nature can be seen in the surrounding grasslands. Cedars and other early-succession trees dot the area. The reason the grasslands came to be at all was because Grumman mowed the area. Now that it’s been left untouched for so long, the grasses – and the species that rely upon them – are thriving and, if left untouched for many years more – perhaps hundreds, if not thousands – the land will eventually return to something akin to the dense Pine Barrens forest it once was. Not only is it a remarkable and unique ecosystem, but it offers an opportunity for hands-on education. It’s one thing to read about how ecological succession works in a textbook, but to see it in action is another thing entirely.
Thanks to the extensive grassland habitat, the wildlife you’ll spot in EPCAL is quite distinct from what you’ll see in many other places on Long Island. If you go during the winter, you’re likely to spot Short-eared Owls, though I was unfortunately unable to spot any, as it’s late in the season for them. But I was greeted by a pair of American Kestrels, the smallest raptor in North America, and along the way I saw several more. Roughly the size of a dove, these birds of prey frequently hover over the grass, scanning for small rodents. The other defining bird for EPCAL is the Eastern Meadowlark, the melodious song of which was a constant as I walked up and down the airstrip. I saw a sparrow, too, but it was the elusive Vesper Sparrow, a species that prefers grasslands to forests, unlike many of the species you’re more likely familiar with. Personally, when I think of grasslands, I think of the sweeping savannahs of sub-Saharan Africa, or the plains of the American Midwest, but the Pine Barrens is a mosaic of different biomes and it’s absolutely revelatory to step into a place that feels uncharacteristic for Long Island. By spending just a few hours here, it becomes clear that the grasslands of EPCAL could not exist anywhere other than the Long Island Pine Barrens. They’re a fundamental piece of the puzzle, and yet EPCAL has been kept in a box, leaving a massive hole in the Pine Barrens.
In terms of accessibility, EPCAL is a bit different than anywhere else we’ve covered in 12 for 12 since it’s not a proper park. But, there’s a decent shoulder beside Grumman Boulevard where a few cars can park, and since the area where you’re meant to walk is a former airstrip, it’s extensively paved. Thus, ticks aren’t a huge concern, as long as you keep a respectful distance from the grass, and there aren’t any seriously steep inclines to worry about. Since the walk is so easy, it’s easy to walk for a long time and soak in the wilderness all around you.
EPCAL is special. While there are several parks that preserve swaths of Long Island’s grassland (such as Mashomack and Blue Point Preserve), nowhere else can the immensity of such a habitat overwhelm you. Few places can teach you more about ecological phenomena, local history, and the resilience of the natural world, despite what we humans seem intent on putting it through. It would be very hard to visit EPCAL and walk away unconvinced that it should be permanently preserved for conservation purposes. It just begs the question: why not EPCAL?
By Travis Cutter, Long Island Pine Barrens Society
