The North Shore Land Alliance is moving ahead with restoring a meadow in the 42-acre Hope Goddard Iselin Preserve. When Davey Trees generously offered to donate a three-person crew for a day of clearing fallen and invasive trees, stumps, and dense vines from the site this winter, the Land Alliance gratefully accepted, advancing meadow restoration at the site and furthering efforts to enhance valuable wildlife habitat.
Nearly two years ago the Land Alliance organized two visits to Iselin Preserve by an expert crew of birders, natural resource managers, and Upper Brookville officials. Resulting recommendations led to a proposal of initial steps for restoring a field at this much-loved local preserve. Since then, the site has undergone annual mowing, in or near winter, when plant and wildlife activity (while never at a complete standstill) is relatively quiet. During spring and summer growing seasons, Land Alliance and Nature Conservancy (TNC) staff and volunteers have worked to remove invasive vegetation that wasted no time in blanketing sections of the field and its periphery, and Randall Brothers donated tree removal and chipping services just before snow covered the field (for months!) in December 2010. Additional volunteers from Huntington-Oyster Bay and North Shore Audubon Societies carried out breeding bird surveys and Christmas Bird Counts there, and a number of Land Alliance Walks in the Woods have been held at the Preserve. The Land Alliance and TNC have also been partnering in meadow restoration at James Preserve in Old Brookville.
“We’re happy to be able to make a direct contribution so that Iselin’s field can provide great wildlife habitat as well as a place for people to explore a part of Long Island natural history,” said Davey Trees’ District Manager Bill Aitken. These actions, along with ongoing monitoring of plants and animals that occupy the sites, will continue to inform future actions, such as regular mowing, that will result in healthier habitat and a more beautiful community.
Lisa Ott, NSLA President, explained, “Restoring these fields with involvement from local residents, businesses, and volunteers is a wonderful example of how our entire community, coming together to steward our open spaces, can conserve a rural landscape – one that benefits native plants and wildlife while protecting our water supply and treasured access to beautiful natural areas for our children and grandchildren.”
TNC and the Alliance have been partners in land conservation since NSLA was founded in 2003. NSLA has been managing four of TNC’s Nassau County preserves for several years and expects to take ownership of them this winter. May this be the beginning of many such efforts where non-profits and community members work together to protect and preserve our vital natural areas.
