by Dr. Laury Magnus
portwashington@antonmediagroup.com
A team of nature heroes worked hard at HarborFest and will continue their outreach at various locales and at meetings at the Port Washington Library in their efforts to create an official Hempstead Harbor Nature Sanctuary in the wild 240-acre area of the Port Washington peninsula. Their quest is to raise awareness of a pristine and beautiful natural area located near the Aerodrome of Hempstead Harbor (across from Bar Beach), formerly known as the Sand Pits. This wetlands area was miraculously formed many decades ago when an embankment of soil was placed along the west side of West Shore Road, blocking an old stream and flooding 40 acres. This area of natural beauty is sensitive and vulnerable to development and illegal encroachment. It must be protected as an irreplaceable and precious natural resource.
The team of nature heroes has been informed that officials of the Town of North Hempstead will be holding a series of visioning sessions sometime soon (though no details have as of yet been disclosed), where the public will be able to advocate for the town to create a protected nature sanctuary. After the visioning process is completed, the officials will decide upon the future of this land. It is of crucial importance to make this area of natural beauty and biodiversity widely known and appreciated.
David Jakim, an environmental scientist, has been mapping, assessing and photographing the flora and fauna of this wild area for several years and giving an ongoing series of lectures and presentations about it at the Port Washington Public Library. He has worked with Professor Arthur Mittelstaedt, Dr. Dawn Adrienne, Betsy and Leah Budne and Dr. Laury Magnus. Together they have created a website of maps and resources about the area and to suggest actions that citizens can take to protect its precious acres. The website can be viewed at www.hemp steadharbornaturesanctuary.com.
Visible on the site is David Jakim’s vision for the future of the nature sanctuary that was formally accepted by the Town of North Hempstead during their request for proposals for a firm to conduct a visioning process for the future of the nature sanctuary. The above website also contains a link to a petition that citizens can sign electronically (over 500 have already signed) to request that town officials continue to preserve the area by creating an official Hempstead Harbor Nature Sanctuary.
A Hempstead Harbor Nature Sanctuary would ensure the region’s long-term ecological health and establish opportunities for education and ecotourism that will minimally impinge upon the wetlands and wildlife. Sign the petition (at www.hempsteadharbornaturesanctuary.com), volunteer for the outreach team and attend the town’s board meetings and visioning sessions when they are announced to advocate for the Hempstead Harbor Nature Sanctuary.
