Driving up a winding torch lit road in Old Westbury, 345 people arrived at the barn of Julie and Luis Rinaldini’s estate to support the North Shore Land Alliance for its annual fundraiser. Wearing their best “barnyard chic attire,” guests were treated to wine tastings while they had an opportunity to bid on the donated silent auction items. Afterward, they were ushered into a plexiglass tent with festive lights strung from the rafters and tables beautifully decorated with sunflowers and hydrangeas, where they dined on filet mignon prepared by Sterling Affairs.
As more wine was poured, Hugh Hildesley of Sothebey’s coaxed thousands of dollars from the guests for the live auction, including items such as a trip to Africa, a five-night stay in Budapest and tickets to Islanders and Jets games.
The biggest surprise of the night was a dinner for 14 people prepared in home by Chef Hong Thaimee of Ngam, which garnered $11,000. The live auction alone netted $81,000 and guests donated $64,000 to save the 28 acres of the Humes Japanese Stroll Garden, which was offered to the Land Alliance for purchase the week of the gala. Afterward, the guests climbed the rafters in the barn loft for some dancing to the music of Ray’s No Quitter.
While the event was a fun way for people to usher in the beginning of the fall, it also served a very important purpose, which was to raise money for the work the North Shore Land Alliance does in protecting and conserving land. Since its inception in 2003, the North Shore Land Alliance has permanently protected more than 1,100 acres of land through acquisitions and conservation easements and has helped secure $265 million in public and private funding for local land and water protection. The Land Alliance is recognized as one of only 301 accredited land trusts out of more than 1,700 land trusts nationwide.
The organization was the brainchild of a group of neighbors led by Carter Bales, the board chair, who explained the purpose of the organization.
“Long Island is suffering from a nature deficit disorder. We saw the beautiful places here fall to the bulldozer and overdevelopment, crowded roads and crowded schools, so we decided to do something about it,” said Bales. “Eight of us got together one night at the Rinaldini’s dinner table and decided to form the North Shore Land Alliance. The first track of land protected was an l8th century farm of 27 acres. We protected it and it took us five years. We partnered with the Town of Oyster Bay and now it is a community destination.”
The organization only preserves land on the North Shore of Long Island, which is also the recharge of the sole source aquifer that provides drinking water for much of Long Island. Along with saving open spaces, the organization also goes into schools and educates the students about the importance of the environment.
Lisa Ott, who was the first person hired by the organization in 2003, served as executive director for four years and now is president. She explained why this event is important for the organization.
“This is the largest fundraiser for the organization and represents 40 percent of our budget,” said Ott. “Conservation is a long, slow process and you need people to do it, so when people give us money, they give us money for projects to buy pieces of land, but it is very difficult to keep a little organization running. You need an organization and the infrastructure to continue to advance conservation. This event supports our staff and infrastructure for almost half a year. What this organization does benefits everyone because it is supports clean water, open space and recreation and we feel it is important to get people out into nature. All of the items here at the silent and live auction are donated.”
Jean Thatcher, mayor of Lloyd Harbor, president of Volunteers for Wildlife and board member of North Shore Land Alliance, discussed the importance of the organization.
“The missions of these two groups are linked. Having open space is important for the quality of the water, but it also allows a habitat for wildlife to flourish,” said Thatcher. “We are interested in preserving and enhancing the connections to nature that are often lost among younger children as they are more electrically inclined and less naturally inclined. We feel it is important to do this, to rehabilitate and educate with regard to wildlife and the habitat that it needs to survive.”
Henry Joyce, executive director of Planting Fields Foundation in Oyster Bay, along with board member CeCe Haydock, attended the event and had high praise for the mission of the organization.
“This is a fabulous evening and it is so important for the Land Alliance to raise money to do more of the great work they do preserving the land which is vital, so we intend to buy lots of wine,” Joyce laughed.
Julie Rinaldini showed artist and donor Barbara Prey of Oyster Bay her seven miniature horses. Rinaldini opened up her estate to the Land Alliance to headquarter the offices in the barn.
“We moved from Manhattan to Long Island and realized that this was too beautiful to lose and we need to put it in a conservation easement,” said Rinaldini. “We learned there was no governing body to protect the land in Nassau County, so my husband and Carter Bales and a few of us started a conservation body.”
Prey, who grew up in Manhasset, paints all over the world. She donated two prints to the event.
“I have been painting for 40 years and I am a huge supporter of the Land Alliance and the work they do,” said Prey.
One of the sponsors of the event is Anton Media Group publisher and editor Angela Susan Anton.
“I want to give a voice and publicity to North Shore Land Alliance and the wonderful things they do purchasing land that otherwise would be developed,” said Anton.
The evening was great success raising funds to continue preserving open land on Long Island for future generations to come. To learn more about the North Shore Land Alliance or to donate, go to www.northshorelandalliance.org or call 516-626-0908 located at 151 Post Oak Rd., Old Westbury.
