The North Shore Land Alliance recently hosted a birthday party celebrating its 15th anniversary at the historic Humes Property. Family activities took place on the lawn between the Rumpus House and newly-mowed meadow where guests enjoyed a petting zoo, created fairy houses and built aquifer models with educator Karen Mossey.
Stella Miller led an early-morning bird walk throughout the property and Mary Schmutz gave a tour of the exquisite Japanese Stroll Garden, which just reopened to the public in May. The festivities culminated with birthday cake and a dogwood tree planting in honor of Board Chair Carter Bales, who will retire at the end of this year.
Since its inception 15 years ago, the North Shore Land Alliance has protected nearly 1,200 acres of land on the North Shore, including the Humes Property, which it purchased from the Humes Estate in 2015 for conservation purposes and hopes to open to the public next year. The 28-acre piece of land boasting meadows, woodlands and freshwater wetlands is situated between Shu Swamp and Upper and Lower Francis Ponds, and completes one of the most important open space corridors on the North Shore of Long Island. The property was the estate of former U.S. Ambassador to Austria, John P. Humes, Sr. and his wife Dr. Jean Schmidlapp-Humes. There are eight structures on the premises in varying stages of disrepair, including the “tavern house,” located along Oyster Bay Road, which dates to the 17th century and was thought to have been a tavern accommodating an unknown guest list of passersby.
“In reflecting on the Land Alliance’s 15 years, two words come to mind: pride and gratitude,” said Lisa Ott, Land Alliance president and CEO. “I am very proud of all we have accomplished together and very grateful to all who have played such an integral part in those accomplishments—our members, local foundations, nonprofit friends, government partners, board and staff.”
The North Shore Land Alliance, Inc. is a nationally accredited, nonprofit 501(c)(3) land trust founded in 2003 that works to protect and preserve, in perpetuity, the green spaces, farmlands, wetlands, groundwater, and historical sites of Long Island’s north shore for the enhancement of quality of life and benefit of future generations.
The North Shore Land Alliance is located at 1395 Planting Fields Rd., Oyster Bay, NY For more information, visit www.northshorelandalliance.org or call 516-922-1028.
—Submitted by North
Shore Land Alliance
