North Shore Land Alliance Inc

Programs: Education and community outreach - in 2016, the land alliance expanded the reach of its li water education program to include 17 schools on both the north and south shores of long island. In total, the land alliance helped more than 2,400 school children learn about long island's sole source aquifer, watersheds, water conservation, native plants and the connection between land and abundant clean water. This endeavor was funded through a grant from the u. S. Fish and wildlife service through the long island sound futures fund. The land alliance welcomed its first class of summer interns courtesy of a 5-year grant from the william c. And joyce c. O'neil charitable trust. Four college-age stewards were selected through a competitive process. They participated in a variety of conservation related activities which helped the land alliance with general stewardship while providing interns with on-the-job training pertinent to a future career in conservation. The land alliance also continued its community outreach to broaden the land alliance's membership base by hosting a dozen walks in the woods, six fundraising events, various conservation-oriented publications and featured two community lectures. Lawyer and conservation tax expert steve j. Small spoke about the tax advantages of private conservation and scott weidensaul, author and ornithologist, talked about climate change and its impact on bird migration.

stewardship - on an ongoing basis, the land alliance advises landowners about private conservation methods, as well as acquires environmentally sensitive lands. In total, the land alliance has been integral to the conservation of nearly 1,200 acres of environmentally significant land. It holds easements on 18 properties consisting of both private and public land. The land alliance enforces easements on 155 acres of land and provides stewardship services for an additional 300 acres of managed lands of which 234 acres are fee owned properties. The land alliance continues its work to restore meadows, remove invasive plants and replace them with native species and restore the tree canopy in both public and private preserves.

land conservation - partnering with government, the community and other not-for-profit organizations the land alliance raises funds to acquire environmentally significant land. Since the land alliance's beginning in 2003, the organization, with the help of community partners, has facilitated $255 million in municipal funding measures and approximately $14 million in private funding for land conservation. In june, the land alliance acquired the 28-acre still woods property in matinecock. This acquisition would not have been possible without a very generous contribution from rod and verena cushman. This heavily wooded property provides a critical habitat for wildlife, contains an abundance of native plants and creates a wonderful opportunity for expanding recreational trails. In september, the land alliance acquired the seven-acre smithers connector parcel which connects upper francis pond preserve to the shu swamp preserve and to the land alliance's humes property. This acquisition adds a critical piece to a wildlife corridor of 150 contiguous acres in the middle of the highly significant beaver brook watershed. The land alliance received donations of two acres of fee land in lattingtown and two conservation easements in the villages of oyster bay cove and mill neck totaling 13. 6 acresthe land alliance assists local governments with mapping and planning techniques to protect natural resources. The land alliance strategic conservation plan builds upon the importance of protecting natural resources through stronger local ordinances. A village by village review process has begun and should result in both the identification and prioritization of specific conservation areas as well as recommendations for adoption of the ordinances needed to protect them.