It’s officially known as Nassau County Storm Water Basin No. 232, but ever since Rob Alvey got it off the ground in 1992, the Tanner Pond Environmental Center/Garden City Bird Sanctuary has been become a green jewel in the crown of the Village of Garden City. On Saturday, Jan. 12, Alvey and his merry band of environmental warriors will be hosting the 5th Annual Winterfest, an event that retells the story of the center and honors those who have donated trees in honor or memory of someone else, and those whom they were planted for. Guests will be fortified by hot cocoa, all the while being able to participate in a candlelight ceremony, sharing in a poem recitation and having the chance to reflect on the event’s theme of All Winters Must Come to an End. Given the horrendous events, both environmental and criminal, that closed out 2012, it’s a chance to share in communal hope that somehow this year will be better than the last.
– Dave Gil de Rubio
