In a little over a month, the Long Island Pine Barrens Society will hold its 48th anniversary gala. The theme, this year, is “Preserving the People’s Park,” a pleasingly alliterative phrase which sums up why we at the LIPBS do what we do. Long Island’s premier ecosystem does not, and should not, belong to any single person or group. It is the natural heritage of all Long Islanders, and in preserving it, we preserve something that benefits everyone. Whether through the recreational opportunities it offers, the public health benefits, affordable clean drinking water, or simply the aesthetic beauty, there’s something for everyone in the Long Island Pine Barrens.
Like the past few years, this year’s gala will be held virtually. At 7 pm on Thursday, October 23rd, you’ll be able to tune in to the program on our YouTube channel and our Facebook page. We’ll highlight life in the Pine Barrens, the progress we’ve made in our “The Best of the Rest” initiative, discuss our new and expanding educational programs, and consider where we’re heading as we move into 2026.
More than a simple retrospective, the gala period is also the time we look for support from our fellow Long Islanders. If you’re interested in supporting the Long Island Pine Barrens Society, there are a few different ways you can go about it. Donations are appreciated no matter when they come in, but at Gala time we open up a handful of options that allow your donations to have a more immediate and apparent impact. First, you can purchase a party box or a “table.” With these options, you and up to nine friends can receive boxes full of locally produced goodies. We won’t spoil what’s in these boxes here, but rest assured there will be some tasty treats you can enjoy while watching the gala. Higher contribution tiers (which include other bonuses like your name being printed in the gala journal) also include party boxes.
If you own a small business, we’d love to hear about it! One of the ways you can both support the LIPBS and spread the word about your business is by purchasing an ad in our journal! Quarter page, half page, full page – you design it, and we print it! The journal is sent to everyone who is involved with the gala, so your business will be brought to the attention of other people who have the shared goal of protecting Long Island’s environment.
Also, you can stick around until the end of the gala when we will highlight our silent auction offerings. Once the video goes live, a silent auction will open and run for the next week. Again, we don’t want to spoil anything too soon, but there will be plenty of great items up for grabs in this auction. All of the proceeds will support our work here at the LIPBS in the coming year!
This was just a brief summary of what you can expect from our upcoming 48th anniversary gala. Keep an eye on our website, Facebook and Instagram pages in the coming weeks, as we’ll continue to update those with information about the gala, the auction, and the work of the LIPBS.
By Travis Cutter, Long Island Pine Barrens Society
