We’re just a little over a month away from the Long Island Pine Barrens Society’s biggest annual event: the gala! At the gala, we’ll celebrate the LIPBS’s 47^th anniversary, raise awareness about what we’ve done this past year, and put a period at the end of this year’s sentence, so we can get ready to get back to work next year. But if you’ve never seen our gala before, where do you start? How do you participate? What’s in it for you? Those are the kinds of questions we’ll answer in this month’s blog post.

The Gala

Odds are, if you’re reading this blog, you passed by the home page of our website, and so have seen the Save the Date card for this year’s gala. In case you haven’t, though, the 47^th gala will be held on Thursday, October 24^th, at 7 pm. As it has been since 2020, the gala this year is a virtual event. So, at the specified date and time, the gala will premiere on our Facebook page and YouTube channel. If you don’t want to mark this off on your calendar (but why wouldn’t you?), then be sure to pop into all our social media platforms over the next month, as we’ll be sure to remind you!

Watching the gala is only part of the experience, though! If you want to support the LIPBS financially, you can participate in the gala with one of a handful of donations. There are different tiers which will secure one, two, or as many as ten party boxes for you and your friends! These boxes are filled with all sorts of goodies, most of which are sourced from local, Long Island-based businesses. If you’ve gotten a party box in past years, don’t expect to get all the same stuff this year. We’ve changed things up, and we’re really excited about some of the inclusions we’ve made.

Speaking of local businesses: if you have one, we want to hear about it! Each year, we publish a journal coinciding with our gala. In addition to discussing the work of the past year, the gala is the place for us to highlight our relationship with all sorts of local businesses! We print quarter, half, full, and cover page advertisements, the proceeds of which all go to supporting the Society! If you’re interested in advertising your business in our journal, follow the link here. Or, if you want to participate or contribute to the gala, click either here or here.

The Silent Auction

After the great gala event, the LIPBS will begin its silent auction! This is another way for you to support the Society, while also nabbing some really cool things! While we of course don’t want to spoil anything, there will be a wide range of available items, from sports memorabilia, to tickets to different events and experiences – there’s something for everyone at the LIPBS silent auction!

What Happens After

While the annual gala is our grandest, most significant yearly event, the fight to protect the Pine Barrens neither starts nor ends there. Each day is just another step towards our goal of preserving “The Best of the Rest” and ensuring that Long Island’s drinking water supply remains pure for generations to come. Whether you’re an honored contributor, a participant, an advertiser, a bidder, or a viewer, we’re excited and grateful for your interest in the Long Island Pine Barrens Society and our gala, and we hope you’ll stick with us for years to come.

By Travis Cutter, Long Island Pine Barrens Society

August is National Water Quality Month! Chances are, if you’re an avid peruser of this website and reader of this blog, then you’re well aware that we at the Long Island Pine Barrens Society are all in on water quality. And why shouldn’t we be? Think about all the times you use tap water throughout the day. You wet your toothbrush in the morning and night; you use it to cook, and rinse your dishes after you’ve finished eating; you take a shower each day (we hope you do, anyway), all totaling to an average of 50 gallons used per person each day¹ – that’s a lot of water! Possibly too much, but that’s a discussion for another day. The point is, we all depend on water for numerous daily tasks – to say nothing of the fact that we drink it! So, water quality is an important issue. But what does it have to do with preserving the Pine Barrens? Well, there are a few ways to look at this.

• The Rivers

Long Island possesses two major rivers: the Carmans, which runs north to south and flows into the Great South Bay, and the Peconic, which runs west to east and is the beginning of our island’s iconic fork shape. Both rivers interact with the Pine Barrens, with the Peconic piercing the easternmost edge of the ecosystem and the Carmans cutting right through the heart of it. Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge, one of the most famous and beloved Pine Barrens parks, is situated entirely around the southern Carmans River. Long Island’s rivers represent its diverse ecosystems, and so any contamination of them would have wide reaching ecological and economic consequences. Nitrogenous fertilizers, for example, can trigger the appearance of harmful algal blooms. These lead to the widespread contamination of shellfish like clams, oysters, and mussels, as being filter feeders, these primarily consume algae. When harmful algal blooms occur, it leads to the contamination of filter feeders, rendering them inedible, thus causing the fishing industry to crash. Shinnecock Bay, for example, could not sustain a fishing industry for many years due to highly contaminated water, and only recently has the fishing industry been allowed to resume thanks to restoration efforts.

Several Best of the Rest properties are focused on preserving properties situated around both the Carmans and Peconic rivers, some of which have already been protected. The more that untouched land surrounds the rivers, the less likely it is that they will become contaminated, as the preserved land serves as a buffer between the water and human development. Were the full initiative preserved, the health of Long Island’s rivers, and by extension, the rest of its environment, would be more thoroughly safeguarded.

• The Aquifer

Have you ever sat around, stared at your faucet for far longer than anyone ought to, and wondered, “where does all that water come from?” Well, even if you haven’t, it’s an interesting question to ask. The answer changes depending on where in the world you live, but here in Suffolk County the answer is: the ground! The water that comes out of all our faucets is pumped up from a freshwater aquifer system (often referred to simply as “the aquifer”) that lies beneath the surface of our island, with different aquifers sourcing the water for the eastern and western parts of Suffolk County². A vast stretch of the aquifer is specifically located beneath the Pine Barrens, and the natural purity of that landscape ensures that the aquifer itself remains pure.

But why is the water so pure? Well, it’s simple. The Pine Barrens get their name because of their “barren” soil. By this it is meant that the soil is rocky and aerated – very poor material for agriculture, which is why the area was never deforested. As water seeps into this barren soil and travels down to the aquifer, the porous soil acts as a filter, catching the particulate matter contained in the water. Thus, the water that settles in the aquifer is remarkably pure.

All of this is to say that if there is an increased amount of any given contaminant on the surface – such as from illegal dumping, or from runoff caused by nearby human developments – then that excess contamination is absorbed by precipitation as it is absorbed into the soil. The more heavily contaminated a given drop of water is, the more contaminants there are to be filtered out as the water seeps into the soil. If the same amount of contaminants are filtered out, but there’s more per drop of water, then more contaminants will enter the aquifer, contaminating it. While the Suffolk County Water Authority tests and filters the water further before selling it to consumers, that process costs money, and so an increasingly contaminated aquifer will result in higher and higher water bills. By preserving more of the Pine Barrens, and specifically by filling in many of the gaps in the existing preserve, a buffer is again created – this time between human development and the underground aquifer. This buffer will stave off potential contamination, keeping the aquifer pure and water bills low.

One of the core goals of The Best of the Rest initiative is to protect and preserve Long Island’s water quality. Herein, we’ve given just a brief explanation as to how the initiative accomplishes this. The more land that is protected, the greater the buffer that exists between the Pine Barrens core (and the aquifer that resides beneath it), and developed areas. The relationship between the aquifer and surface water is too complex a topic for the scope of this blog post, but the truth is that they are all one massive system. This system is what contributes to both Long Island’s vibrant, diverse ecology and our pure, clean drinking water. No matter what aspect of Island life you care most about, there is every reason to advocate for clean water and, by extension, the complete preservation of the Pine Barrens.

If you’d like to support The Best of the Rest initiative, please consider donating to the Long Island Pine Barrens Society: https://www.pinebarrens.org/contribute/

Sources:

1. https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/water/water-quantity/water-use-conservation
2. https://www.scwa.com/faq/

By Travis Cutter, Long Island Pine Barrens Society

If you’ve paid any attention to the Long Island Pine Barrens Society these past two years, you’re sure to have heard of “The Best of the Rest” initiative. This campaign seeks to complete the promise of the 1993 Pine Barrens Protection Act by preserving another 3,800 acres of land. If you’re curious as to the status of the campaign, head on over to this page on our website. While preserving untouched land for its own sake is all well and good, today we’re going to highlight some of the animals which can be found in these “The Best of the Rest” properties, and why preserving their habitat is crucial for their wellbeing.

Monarch Butterflies

Monarch Butterflies (Danaus plexippus) are a beloved insect, and for good reason. Their beautiful coloration sets them head and shoulders (proverbially speaking) above the rest of the insect world. Although on a global scale the species is faring well, the migratory populations (such as New York’s) are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), meaning they’re the most at-risk species we’ll be discussing today. Of course, the main source of these butterflies’ decline is the decline of suitable sources of nutrition. Wildflowers like milkweed (which you can, and should, plant in your own backyard) are crucial for this. Another such flower is known as Butterfly Weed, and is prominently found in the Rocky Point area we are seeking to protect. Nineteen (19) of the 60 acres that are included in “The Best of the Rest” plan are currently eyed by the DEC, but if all 60 acres are preserved it would go a long way in preserving this vital resource for monarch butterflies, creating a safe harbor for them on Long Island.

Grasshopper Sparrow

While the IUCN lists the Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) as one of Least Concern, it is a species with a range covering most of the continental United States and stretches south into Mexico. Thus, there are numerous subspecies and populations, many of which, taken on their own, are threatened. Here in New York, the species is listed as one of Special Concern, as the local population has declined considerably in recent years. As the name suggests, this species of sparrow is fondest of grassland habitats, and specifically can be found on the EPCAL property. This extensive grassland is owned by the Town of Riverhead; it is as of yet entirely unpreserved. Along with the Shoreham forest and the Rose-Breslin properties, this is one of the chief areas of interest for The Best of the Rest” initiative.

Eastern Meadowlark

Sticking with the EPCAL property, another beautiful bird species that can be found there is the Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna). Throughout the year, this bird’s range can extend from Canada to Mexico, and from Texas to the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Yet, it is listed as a Near Threatened species by the IUCN, due to population decline caused by loss of habitat. The DEC specifically highlights Long Island as a location where development is impacting the population. As the name suggests, meadowlarks prefer wide open grasslands, much like the grasshopper sparrows, and so the preservation of the EPCAL property is crucial in maintaining one of Long Island’s quintessential ecosystems, and the creatures that inhabit it.

This was just a brief glimpse of some of the animals whose conservation status would be improved should the entirety of “The Best of the Rest” properties be preserved. If you’re not already, consider following the Long Island Pine Barrens Society’s Facebook and Instagram accounts where, in the coming weeks, we’ll be discussing these species, and many more that “The Best of the Rest” initiative seeks to protect.

By Travis Cutter, Long Island Pine Barrens Society

For over a decade, the Long Island Pine Barrens Society has provided Long Island’s middle school students the opportunity to be scientists, thanks to sponsorship from the National Grid Foundation. Each year, this program allows dozens of students to learn more about Long Island’s water, how to preserve it, and how to think like scientists to solve problems.

It all starts in the classroom. At the start of the year, students spend time learning about Long Island’s water, what threats face it, and what can be done to preserve it. Then, the training wheels are removed, and the students are let loose to think about a problem facing Long Island’s water, and how they’d best solve it. Students are tasked with doing research, writing papers, and preparing poster presentations summing up their work, which are presented to Long Island Pine Barrens Society staff at each school’s “Water Day.” This year, three classes of Patchogue-Medford middle school students – from Oregon, Saxton, and South Ocean Middle Schools – presented their work. Topics ranged from microbeads and other harmful plastics, to nitrate pollutions and the “dead zones” that appear in the Long Island Sound, to problems found in the home, such as the efficacy of water filters.

While last year featured the program’s return to an in-person experience in the wake of the pandemic, this year featured a never-before-implemented addition to the program: a hike! Over three dozen students were given a guided hike through Fish Thicket Preserve – a Town of Brookhaven park which was preserved only thanks to the advocacy of Pat-Med students of yesteryear – where LIPBS board members John Turner and Bob McGrath taught about the local Pine Barrens ecosystem, and the history of the preserve. By the day’s end, the students were more engaged than ever before with the environment, and that alone is the mark of a successful program.

A month after the three Water Days and the hike through Fish Thicket Preserve, all the students traveled to Stony Brook University, where they were treated to a lecture by Dr. Christopher Gobler, the premier expert on Long Island’s water quality. For forty minutes, Dr. Gobler provided students with a college-level presentation, talking in detail about the various contaminants that threaten our water, as well as what solutions are being worked on to improve things. Then, the students once again presented their work to LIPBS staff as well as members of the Center for Clean Water Technology.

Finally, the program wrapped up on June 8^th, at Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge. There, students were presented with certificates recognizing their efforts, and the students who worked on the projects deemed the best by the LIPBS were presented with certificates from Deputy County Executive Jennifer Juengst and Alice Painter, Chief of Staff to Assemblyman Joe DeStefano. (Plaques provided by the National Grid Foundation recognizing these winning students’ achievement were delivered subsequently). Students were again given time to present their work to the LIPBS, government representatives, and of course their families. After affording guests the time to talk to the students about their work, board member Bob McGrath led a hike through Wertheim, where he expounded on the effect the Carmans River watershed has on the ecosystem, the quirky nature of the White-breasted Nuthatch, and, of course, ticks (who made sure to attend the hike!).

The Middle School Kids Go To College program is perhaps a prime example of what the Long Island Pine Barrens Society is all about. In fostering a love of Long Island’s natural beauty in our youth, we engender a new generation of preservers who will continue the good fight in conserving what makes our Island so special to begin with. In pushing students to their academic limits, we prepare them to rise to the challenge of understanding and protecting the Pine Barrens. And in honoring their achievements, we celebrate the fact that progress is made not by the movement of governments or corporations, but instead by the hard work of individuals.

This year, the Middle School Kids Go To College program was better than ever, and here’s to many more years of reaching ever greater heights!

By Travis Cutter, Long Island Pine Barrens Society

If you’ve been following the Long Island Pine Barrens Society’s social media accounts (facebook.com/PineBarrensSociety and @lipinebarrens on Instagram) then you’ve probably seen at least one of our recent posts detailing the status of our “The Best of the Rest” initiative. This initiative’s goal is the preservation of another 3,800 acres of Pine Barrens land, to complete the preservation project begun in 1993 with the passage of the Pine Barrens Protection Act. Odds are, if you’re reading this blog, you’re already on board with this idea. But believe it or not, there are people who might not be on the same page. This blog is thus going to answer, as succinctly as possible, the simple question, “why is land preservation necessary?”

I’ll skip the sappy, sentimental stuff about nature having inherent value – I believe it does, and I’m sure most folks reading this do, too, but it’s a position that veers firmly into the realm of moral philosophy. That feels too esoteric and too grand in scope for this blog post, but perhaps it’s something we’ll return to in the future. Instead, I want to focus on some of the practical, tangible facts that illustrate the benefits that land preservation has both for the wildlife that lives in said land, and the humans who live around it.

First, habitat fragmentation can pose a serious risk to many of Long Island’s terrestrial and semi-aquatic animals. A perfect example of this is the Eastern Mud Turtle, a semi-aquatic reptile which largely resides in bodies of water. If its present habitat dries up, though, the mud turtle will move on foot to a new body of water. Odds are, you’ve seen turtles try to cross a road before, and hopefully you’ve done the right thing and escorted the critter to the where it’s going. But, if there was no development at all, imagine how much easier it would be for the turtles to get where they were going. Thus, preserving as much land as possible ensures the existence of as much continuous habitat as possible, allowing for animals to more easily travel from place to place and deal only with the risks naturally posed to them – and not the horror of an 18-wheeler speeding at them at 60 mph.

An Eastern Mud Turtle in its natural habitat.

Now, let’s talk about something that benefits not just the critters, but also every Long Islander: water. If you didn’t know, water is necessary to life, and here on Long Island, we have remarkably clean, safe water (relative to much of the rest of the country). Why is that? The Pine Barrens of course! While one half of the “Pine Barrens” name comes from the sort of tree that dominates the region, the other half comes from the fact that the soil throughout is remarkably nutrient poor. It is for this reason that the Pine Barrens were left untouched by early settlers, as the land was absolutely useless for farming. And yet, this barren, rocky soil has another purpose: it acts as a natural filter. Thus, when water (such as from rain) seeps into the Pine Barrens soil, it trickles down into the ground, and as it does, much of the particulate matter contained within is filtered out by the soil. Beneath the Pine Barrens lies a vast aquifer, which is where we source our drinking water from. Since the aquifer lies underground, the more pollutants that reside on the surface, the more likely it is that contaminants can seep down into it. If too much land in and around the Pine Barrens is developed, then there’s that much more land that is subjected to constant pollution. Thus, the more land that’s preserved, the more the aquifer is protected, and our drinking water supply will remain all the purer.

A diagram of Long Island’s aquifers.

This is merely a taste of the benefits that land preservation provides. From the point of view of the humblest turtles, to the big picture perspective of human infrastructure, there’s all the reason in the world to preserve as much land as possible. A healthier Long Island means happier, healthier Long Islanders, after all!

As the weather gets warmer, few things are more alluring than hunkering down in the shade of a pitch pine and reading a good book. If that sentiment is true for you, then perhaps you’d be interested in some off-kilter book recommendations. The selection of books below seeks to be a collection of tales that look at the natural world from different perspectives than you might be used to, and will hopefully give you a newfound appreciation and respect for our wondrous planet.

Recommendation #1: The Histories by Herodotus

Hear me out on this. I’m sure that the first question that popped into your head was “Why a history book recommendation from an environmental nonprofit? Let alone the first ever history book…” Well, that’s just it: despite the title, Herodotus’s classic isn’t just a history book. In writing about the conflict between the ancient Greeks and Persians, Herodotus set the stage by describing in exhaustive detail all the civilizations that he knew about. Thus, the first half of the book reads more like a travelogue, with intricate details provided about the history, culture, and, yes, the environment of the places discussed. From the lush floodplains of the Nile to the barren steppes of the Caucuses, Herodotus paints a vivid (albeit, often embellished) portrait of a world so far removed from our own, yet very akin to it in many ways. If nothing else, Herodotus is a master of empathy, and we could all use a bit more of that in this day and age.

  A mountain peak in Ushguli, Georgia. Photo courtesy of Wiley Wilkins, via Unsplash.

Recommendation #2: Butcher’s Crossing by John Williams

This book is perhaps the greatest argument in favor of the “humans should leave nature alone” case ever written. A rebuke of Emersonian transcendentalism, Butcher’s Crossing tells the story of a young man who drops out of Harvard so that he can travel out west to find God. He signs himself up as part of a buffalo hunting crew, and from then on, the book is a never-ending barrage of trauma and hardship, all of it ultimately caused by human greed and the need to assert dominance over the natural world. This book is many things: a western; a critique of human expansionism; a portrait of both the transcendent beauty and the awe-inspiring destructive power inherent in the natural world. It’s a book that ultimately forces self-reflection, and a newfound respect for the world beyond the walls. Be warned, though! This book is not for the squeamish. Guts and gore aplenty, so be wary.

Buffalo. Photo Courtesy of Romain De Moor via Unsplash.

Recommendation #3: Eye of the Albatross by Carl Safina

Odds are, if you’re a dedicated enough conservationist that you read this blog, you’ve heard of Carl Safina. A year ago, in fact, Board Secretary Nina Leonhardt recommended one of his recent releases, Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel, but for this list it only seems appropriate to recommend Carl’s debut work. Eye of the Albatross gives the reader a new perspective, in the most literal sense possible, by following the life of an albatross over the course of a breeding cycle. The life of an albatross, it turns out, is filled with just as many trials and tribulations as the life of a human being. After reading this book, you’ll never look at a bird – or, hopefully, any animal – the same way again.

An albatross. Photo courtesy of Nareeta Martin via Unsplash.

Hopefully at least one of these recommendations suits your fancy this spring! With the world around you reviving after the cold, dreary winter, there’s no better time than to give yourself a new outlook on life, and books are a great way to do that.

By Travis Cutter, Long Island Pine Barrens Society

Cover Image courtesy of USGS via Unsplash.

For many, birds are the highlight of their time in the Pine Barrens. Yet, even after years of casual birding, it can be difficult to distinguish certain species from one another. That is, of course, if you don’t know what traits to look for.  Here, I’ll present for your viewing pleasure some of the more confounding common birds, and how I’ve learned to tell them apart after four years of birding.

Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers

Let’s start with a deceptively simple one. At a glance, the Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers look like they’re the same species, especially at a distance. While the animal’s overall size is usually a good clue as to what species you’re looking at, there are times when this just won’t cut it. The smallest Hairy and the largest Downy could easily appear to be one another! When you’re unsure, the easiest solution is to look at the size of the bird’s beak, and more specifically its size in relation to the animal’s head. If the beak is much smaller than the bird’s head, it’s a Downy. If the beak is as long as or longer than the bird’s head, it’s a Hairy!

Left: A Downy Woodpecker. Right: A Hairy Woodpecker. Photo Credits: Joshua J. Cotten (via Unsplash) and Daniel D’Auria

Yellow and Pine Warblers

Did you know that many of the most common warblers you’ll see around Long Island all belong to the same genus. Yellow, Pine, and Yellow-rumped warblers, among others, all belong to the genus Setophaga. For reference, when we talk about dinosaurs, we generally only refer to an animal’s genus, as distinguishing between species is often too difficult! This holds true with modernity’s warblers, which often possess similar, if not identical, silhouettes. However, with decent lighting, most of the more common species are simple enough to distinguish from one another thanks to their varied plumage patterns. Even with the often-extreme sexual dimorphism present in many warblers, the males and females of a given species are often distinct from any other species you’ll find in a similar habitat (though the drabber females will likely require a closer look to properly identify). However, Yellow and Pine Warblers are an exception to this: they’re both predominantly yellow in coloration and possess darker wings and streaks on their bellies. Ultimately, there are three key features you can use to distinguish the birds. First, are their wings. While Yellow Warblers’ wings are generally darker in coloration than the rest of their body, they’re not the pure gray that Pine Warblers possess. Furthermore, Pine Warbler wings feature distinct white wing bars. Second, the streaks on Yellow Warbler bellies are much clearer and more pronounced than those of the Pine Warblers, which are often smudgy. Finally, Pine Warblers have black eye-lines that, while fainter in color, connect their eyes and their beaks.

Left: A Yellow Warbler. Right: A Pine Warbler. Photo Credits: Patrice Bouchard (via Unsplash) and Fritz Myer

Sparrows

Unlike warblers, which generally each possess distinct coloration or plumage patterns, most sparrows you’ll find on your hikes will be shades of brown, will have some sort of eye line, and will likely have streaks on their bellies. Dark-eyed Juncos and Eastern Towhees are an exception to this, but often you’ll have to rely on traits other than plumage to determine what you’re looking at. Size is useful for identifying Fox Sparrows (large) and Chipping Sparrows (small) but in isolation it can be challenging to place what you’re looking at in perspective with other sparrows you’ve seen. Thus, size is most useful when multiple species are present at the same time.

Habitat is also a clue – you’re unlikely to see a Swamp Sparrow in the heart of the Pine Barrens, after all! When it comes down to it, the most similar sparrows in terms of plumage, habitat, and size are the Song Sparrow and the White-throated Sparrow. Although the latter’s name might suggest a simple way to distinguish the two, this isn’t always the case. Juvenile White-throated Sparrows possess less distinct white throats, to say nothing of natural differences in pigmentation. Not every bird you’ll see out in the field looks like the picture-perfect specimen in your field guide or on the Merlin app. Thus, the most important thing to remember is that Song Sparrows possess very clear and distinct streaks on their belly, and often feature a single, most prominent streak on their centers. Additionally, White-throated sparrows migrate away from the Island during the warmer months, so if it’s the middle of July, you’re not likely to see them.

Left: A Song Sparrow. Right: A White-Throated Sparrow. Photo Credits: Matthew Schwartz and Joshua J. Cotten (both via Unsplash)

Hopefully this brief guide will help you to identify birds and enjoy this incredibly exciting and enriching hobby. From your own backyard to the Shoreham Forest, you can find birds of all shapes and sizes across Long Island, if only you choose to look for them. Happy Birding!

By Travis Cutter, Long Island Pine Barrens Society

If you’ve hiked across the Island at all, you’ve probably noticed that seating options tend to range fairly widely across different parks and trails. Your average seating accommodation can range from a full-sized picnic bench to nothing more than the ground beneath your feet. If you’re not already an experienced hiker, going for upwards of an hour along a dirt trail can be tiring, regardless of the general health benefits. In these situations, finding somewhere to rest and take a break can be incredibly important to preserving your energy, and to prevent soreness the next day. So, we wanted to take some time here to go over some methods of catching a break on the seatless trails.

Push up against a tree

If you need a quick rest and there aren’t any benches in sight, your next best option is to take a rest up against a tree. Just having something to put your weight on can take a massive load off your legs, and a tree is perfect for that. It’s worth it to give the tree you choose a quick once-over for any bugs though, since you are about to be leaning against their home. If you’re on a more urban trail, there may even be railings or street signs you could do this with, though it’s unlikely that such a developed trail wouldn’t have a few benches along the way. Whatever you decide to lean against though, this method is ideal if you want to give your legs a short break without stopping completely.

Bring a chair

This one is really more for those extra long trails on the Island, where you’re already going to be keeping a backpack full of snacks and water with you. Especially now, portable “hike chairs” have become more compact and reliable than ever before. They can get to be as small as 1 pound in weight and can easily fit into a backpack for those who need a more defined seat on their hikes. That said, this is the one option here with a fairly steep price. If you want a good chair that’ll last, it’ll cost you well over $100, and even the cheapest chairs won’t come in under $25. And frankly, if you’re going to be hiking such a long trail in the first place, you’re probably already used to going the distance, or at the very least sitting on the ground, and a chair will just take up space.

Photo by Zara Walker on Unsplash

Park yourself in the dirt

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and if you’re too tired to stand, there’s no shame in dirtying your bottom to take a rest. That said, you don’t want to park yourself just anywhere. Especially in warmer months, ticks will be abundant on LI trails, and the last thing you want is to get swarmed by them or other bugs when you sit down.

The best way to avoid ticks, and bugs in general, is to try and find as open a patch of ground as possible. No plants or branches, no grass, and if possible as few leaves as possible. That may sound like a description of the middle of the trail path, but you’d be surprised what corners you can find when you’re really desperate. That said, if you struggle to feel safe doing this, and know you’ll need a break along a benchless trail, it may be worth it to pack a small cloth towel to use as a ground cover. Flour sack towels are best for this, since they can easily fit into your pocket, and provide a fairly large surface to sit on. In colder months you could also use your coat or sweater for this, just be sure to shake it out before putting it back on!

A fine bit of dirt

If all else fails though, and you find yourself needing to sit in an uncleared space with nothing between you and the ground, be sure to follow our guides for tick prevention and identification, check yourself as soon as you get up, brush off your clothes, and take a shower as soon as you get home, before checking yourself again.

However you choose to take a rest along the trail, it’s important to recognize your own limits, and to pace yourself with your hikes. If you’re just starting out and don’t have much experience on the trail, consider starting with a local green trail. These almost always have benches every few hundred feet, and are spacious enough that even in the worst case scenario you can just park yourself on the side of the path, well out of the way of other walkers or cyclists. If you’re really in the mood for a more rugged trail, pick a short one, and don’t dive headfirst into a 5-mile trail loop. Hiking has lots of benefits, both health- wise and in letting you see so much more of nature, but none of that is worth it if you’re suffering every step of the way. Hike safely, hike responsibly, and most importantly, hike at your own pace.

By Andrew Wong, Long Island Pine Barrens Society

If you’re in any way involved in environmental protection efforts, then you’ve already seen the news that 2023 was the hottest year on record in 150 years, or rather, the hottest year on record since we started keeping records of temperature. Those who haven’t seen this news already can find a plethora of articles from just about every major news publication, but we’ll just link the article from Reuters here. I doubt anyone reading this needs any convincing as to the severity of the climate crisis, so I won’t bother going over the broader aspects of it. What I think will be useful though, is just how this is currently affecting, and will continue to affect Long Island in the coming months and years, so that you can be informed, and so that you can inform others.

Not Retreading Old Ground

The LIPBS has already published an article on how climate change affects the Island, and if you want to do so you can read it here. The points covered can, now, seem almost simple in how normalized they’ve become. Even if it’s not a hurricane we’re dealing with some manner of destructive storm almost every month now, even just this month! The problems listed here are all still happening, but most have already accelerated, or been worsened.

Photo Credit: DEC Helicopter Survey

We’re not here to discuss what we’ve already gone over, and we’re certainly not here to reiterate points all of us already know, so we’ll be leaving this article alone for the time being.

Droughts and the Aquifer

While we were able to avoid a severe drought last year, most of us I think were somewhat caught off guard by the 2022 drought, which came with a while host of recommendations from the water authority to reduce our usage. Of course, 2022 was just the culmination of a series of droughts stretching back to summer 2020, with 2023 being the exception to this. Droughts have, of course, been ongoing on the Island since 2016, with subsequent years only intensifying an issue that was once far from our minds.

Photo Credit: Anton Ivanchenko via Unsplash

When our life here on Long Island is already so dependent on what little water resources we have, droughts occurring so frequently are an issue we cannot afford to ignore in any capacity. This is, of course, not even considering the already occurring contamination of the aquifers, making this at-risk resource so much more delicate. Seawater contamination is at the forefront of this, where rising sea levels and constant droughts only serve to further intensify the problem. Then there is the issue of pollutants entering the ground, which is an entire can of worms itself that could take up an entire blog all on its own. The danger of a drought is very real and is contributing to an issue that only our grandchildren will live to see. Long Island losing its clean source of water is now a very real threat that many of us may very well live to see.

What have we been doing about it?

Issues like this are quickly reaching a point of being too much to handle, but what can be done at this point? For decades, every environmental group has called for these issues to be addressed at a legislative level, yet for every victory, it comes with a plethora of losses. Even the Pine Barrens Protection Act, which marked such a massive victory in 1993, today is sometimes little more than a suggestion to big developers like Discovery. So then what course of action remains, if even our greatest victories are sometimes compromised?

Consider the decades of nonviolent action that have failed to produce results the next time you hear about an activist acting out in front of a government building, or about the interruption of some awards you looked forward to by people screaming in the planet’s name. Consider the fact that the very first widely reported eco protest happened 54 years ago, and how we’re on an even faster course to environmental destruction now than we were then. That for all our peaceful efforts, the forces that are polluting our water and planet have more power today than they ever have before. It’s easy to distance yourself from the most extreme protestors and advocates, who are willing to put their livelihoods on the line so easily for their causes. Even easier than to condemn their actions as too extreme, or the wrong way to do things. But when the right way of doing things has gone so long not only without results, but with a constant downward trend, then what reason is there to continue doing things the right way?

The environmental movement has a long history of victories, but very few of them directly affect the quality of life for the people around it. Despite the researched and confirmed health benefits of living in or around green areas, a lovely trail does little to help those living in poverty. It’s only in recent years that the topic of Environmental Justice has come closer and closer to being a core part of the movement. Environmentalism as a cause cannot survive so long as it tries to push itself above more ground level social causes. As long as housing inequality exists, as long as income inequality exists, as long as race inequality exists, and as long as our economic system rewards the rampant destruction of the planet, no lasting change will be made. As social justice movements expand and move towards the future, the environmental movement needs to move with them, lest we be left behind in the dust.

By Andrew Wong, Long Island Pine Barrens Society

Last year we held a yearly wrap up on our social media accounts. It was an enjoyable way for us to recount the year’s events in an episodic way, highlighting a different event each week leading up to the New Year. This year we wanted to do something similar, but here on the LIPBS website instead! This way, you can binge through all our highlights from this year at once, instead of needing to wait a week to get your fix of the LIPBS!

Let’s open this with our big event from the summer, the 30^th Anniversary Celebration of the Pine Barrens Protection Act! Or rather, the 30^th Anniversary Celebration of the *Signing* of the Pine Barrens Protection Act. Our event was held in the very same Southaven County Park where former Governor Mario Cuomo signed the act into law in 1993. There, the founders of the LIPBS were joined by current staff, as well as supporters and locally elected representatives, all to celebrate the anniversary of the landmark act.

Credit: Wayne Cook

At the event we reminisced about the past, but also looked to the future with our “The Best of The Rest initiative,” which has currently brought approximately 900 acres out of the desired 3,800 to the appraisal/negotiations/acquisition table. Playing between speakers, was the very same band that played at the original signing in 1993, a but older, just like the rest of us. The entire event capped off with a guided hike around the park from Society Board Member, co-founder and renowned environmentalist John Turner.

Credit: Dylan Eiden

Also at this event was the awards ceremony for our Middle School Kids Go To College program, which was held a month prior. For the first time since 2019, the college component was live, held at Stony Brook University, on the SOMAS campus. There, students from three Patchogue-Medford middle schools were treated to a lecture from Dr. Chris Gobler, a world-renowned scientist, and professor at the university. Dr. Gobler went over the water-related issues plaguing Long Island, as well as some of the solutions which have been put to work over the last few years.

Credit: Dylan Eiden

Once Dr. Gobler finished his presentation, it was time for the students to put on presentations of their own, showing off their own projects, which they had been researching and preparing for months before. These projects differed from student to student, as observed by both Dr. Gobler and the LIPBS staff. After the event had concluded, the Society staff took their time reviewing the projects, before selecting just a select few to be presented with awards at our summer celebration.

And speaking of celebrations, we once again hosted our yearly Gala in October, this time marking the 46^th anniversary of the Society. This event was focused largely on recapping the two events we just went over, but did come attached with our ever popular Silent Auction, with a host of getaways and restaurant trips included as the incentives.

Regardless of what big events we hosted this year though, our focus has remained on securing parcels through “The Best of The Rest.“  Progress has been steady since we began, and we are on good pace to ensure that Long Island’s open space will stay preserved for generations to come.

By Andrew Wong, Long Island Pine Barrens Society