Hard as it is to believe, this June marked the conclusion of the Long Island Pine Barrens Society’s fifteenth year of offering our “Middle School Kids Go To College” program to students in the Patchogue-Medford School District. It also marked the second year of our “Inspiring Youth to Protect Their Environment” program, in which students learn about waste management, composting, and the trials and tribulations of the Brookhaven landfill. Each year, we work hard to noticeably improve and expand upon the work we do to educate Long Island youths on issues related to water quality and public health, and we’re proud of how we continued this work in the 2025-2026 school year.
Facilitating these programs is a lot of work. It requires extensive coordination with the teachers we work with, as well as program partners such as Monique Fitzgerald of the Brookhaven Landfill Action and Remediation Group, who help us craft the core subject matter which the programs focus on. After working out the general game plan – which is usually completed in December and January– the students receive some brief introductory instructions and then head off to research a topic of their choosing. After a few weeks of researching and developing their projects, they present their work to Pine Barrens Society staff, as well as their fellow students and school personnel. They receive feedback on their work, continue to refine their project for the next few weeks, at which point they travel to Stony Brook University. They present their work a second time, and by the time this trip rolls around – typically in mid-May – the school year has progressed to the point where they no longer have time to work on their projects before the final awards celebration at the start of June.
That’s how the program works in a normal school year. In 2026, as you may remember, February saw Long Island buried in snow for weeks on end. So many snow days packed so closely together meant that the core of our programs couldn’t get started until the beginning of March. Thus, everyone involved in the program – from Pine Barrens Society staff to each and every student – had to hit the ground running. Despite the added difficulty of a time crunch, the students this year went above and beyond to craft some genuinely insightful, novel projects. Subject matter ranged from discussions of the benefits of native gardening, the difficulties that arrive as pipes become dirty, and an exploration of the terrible contaminant 1,4-dioxane. Posters were vibrant and well-constructed, and the students improved their presentation skills with each event. It is always remarkable to see the creativity and intelligence of students as young as these sixth graders, but this year’s program inspired a sense of awe, to see how wonderful these students’ projects were despite the difficulties of the year.
This year, we modified how we assessed the students’ projects. When we bring the students to Stony Brook University, we always like for them to present their work to Dr. Christopher Gobler, and members of his Center for Clean Water Technology. Experts such as these can provide great insights and can engage with the students’ projects at the highest level. Because of that, this year we gave representatives from the Center the same rubric we at the Society use to assess the projects. Thus, we consulted many educated opinions when selecting the winning projects. While the chosen projects were the best of the best, it’s important to note that all of the projects and all of the students are worthy of recognition. To embark on an independent research project as early as sixth grade is no mean feat. To think like a scientist is an important skill, not only in the course of one’s educational career, but throughout one’s life. If these students continue to refine this skill, they’re sure to succeed in the years to come.
In terms of expanding our programs, this year we were proud to include students from the Longwood School District for the first time. While not fully integrated into either program yet, this was a great first step. Students from Longwood accompanied us on our hike through Fish Thicket Preserve, and embarked on a letter writing campaign, voicing their concerns about the Brookhaven Landfill to Supervisor Panico. Knowing how to communicate with local elected officials is a crucial part of being a good citizen, and we sincerely hope that these students continue to use the skills they’ve learned in the years to come.
As in previous years, our programs this year concluded with an awards celebration at Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge. Students presented their work once more, this time to friends and family, were then honored with commendations and plaques to commemorate their work, and finally were treated to a guided hike through the preserve, led by Jason Smith, the Science and Stewardship Manager of the Central Pine Barrens Commission. The Society was joined by representatives of State Senator Dean Murray and Assemblyman Joe DeStefano in honoring these students. Most remarkably, County Executive Ed Romaine stopped by to personally address the students and commend them for their work. We’re so grateful to the County Executive for joining us in recognizing the achievement of our students. Only when government and science work hand in hand can solutions to our biggest problems be put into effect. And only when the next generation learns how to follow in the footsteps of those who came before can we ensure that the good work of environmental conservation continues for generations to come.
Each year, the Pine Barrens Society’s two middle school programs are what prove most satisfying to work on. While they are a lot of work, and subject to a lot of variability, nothing is more motivating than engaging the next generation. To inspire in them a sense of scientific curiosity, the spirit of advocacy, and the ethos of careful research, is a most noble and important task. The work conservationists, public health advocates, and more do now is done for that next generation. But the work will never truly be done, and so far that reason the next generation must be well-equipped to deal with the challenges ahead. We at the Pine Barrens Society are proud to have done our part inspiring Long Island’s youth for the past fifteen years. And we’ll continue this great work for many years to come.
By Travis Cutter, Long Island Pine Barrens Society
