June 15, 2016
Oyster Bay, N.Y. (June 2016) – In partnership with Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon Society (“HOBAS”), Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center and Audubon New York, Sagamore Hill National Historic Site is preparing for a native plant demonstration garden to be installed this week.
The garden, designed with native plants, will be used as an educational tool to help the public better understand the critical need for native and wildlife friendly landscaping. Planting will take place on Friday, June 17th and will be led by graduates of Audubon New York’s For the Birds! environmental education program from Washington Rose School in Roosevelt, NY. More than 150 native plants, shrubs and trees have been donated by HOBAS for inclusion in the planting. Project funding comes from Sagamore Hill, HOBAS, and Audubon New York, which received a generous grant from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Long Island Futures Fund to establish this garden.
HOBAS President Stella Miller stated, “Native plants are critical because they support native insects, most of which are specialists rather than generalists and will not feed on non-natives. Insects are a critical food source for birds and other animals, particularly those raising young- less insects means less birds.”
She continued, “Other pollinators are also critical to us: according to the USFWS, pollinators are nearly as important as sunlight, soil and water to the reproductive success of over 75% of the world's flowering plants and the production of over 150 food crops in the US. As habitat decreases, native pocket habitats such as backyards and public areas become critical links needed to create contiguous habitat corridors for wildlife.”
“Birds, in particular the Ruby-throated hummingbird, are very important pollinators of wildflowers in the state, and their efficiency at pollination is comparable to that of honey bees,” said Audubon New York Executive Director Erin Crotty. “Through this partnership and our For the Birds! Program, this next generation of environmental stewards has learned first-hand that every individual can play a role in protecting the overall integrity of New York’s environment by protecting and restoring pollinator habitat. The importance of pollinators is undeniable and continued declines in pollinator activity could mean rising costs for pollinator-dependent fruits and vegetables and the disruption of entire ecological systems. We are thankful to Sagamore Hill and the Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon Society for their partnership on this flagship project.
Kelly Fuhrmann, Superintendent of Sagamore Hill stated, "The opportunity to work with community partners such as Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon, Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center as well as Audubon New York to promote and implement such an informative and ecologically beneficial project is a valuable opportunity. The new NPS/NAS team can be twice as effective working together toward our common missions to promote natural resources awareness and education opportunities. The conservation awareness and stewardship partnership is a model that supports long term community engagement to address pressing local and global environmental issues." On May 29, 2016, the chapter hosted, in partnership with the NPS, a “Bird Friendly Communities Day” at Sagamore Hill. Activities included a program about making lifestyle changes to help birds, beginner bird walks, a live bird of prey program with Volunteers for Wildlife, and activities for kids.
Ms. Miller concluded, “Creating Bird Friendly Communities one of National Audubon’s five main focus areas and perhaps the most important one. It is only through connecting people to nature that we will continue to protect wildlife and habitat because we simply cannot achieve conservation goals unless people care. We must instill a pride and love for nature, while providing the knowledge and tools needed to protect the natural resources surrounding them. Even if this means something as simple and small as a backyard garden.”
Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon is a chapter of the National Audubon Society, serving over 1,000 members in Huntington and Northern Oyster Bay Townships. The organization works to protect wildlife preserve habitat through conservation action, advocacy, education and responsible and ethical nature exploration. Visit www.hobaudubon.org for more information.
The Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center, located in Oyster Bay, was established in 1923 as the first Audubon Songbird Sanctuary in the nation and is one of seven sanctuaries managed by Audubon New York. Today, it is a vibrant resource offering a wide variety of activities, including environmental education, wildlife research, and conservation advocacy. Visit http://ny.audubon.org/trsac for more information.
As a leading state program of the National Audubon Society, Audubon New York (Audubon NY) leads our network of 50,000 members, 27 local Audubon Chapters, seven sanctuaries and nature centers and our thousands of annual visitors, volunteers, and partners throughout the state. Audubon achieves its mission to protect birds and their habitats by connecting our vast and powerful network along the migratory flyways of the Americas through science, advocacy, education and on-the-ground conservation programs. Learn more at ny.audubon.org and @audubonny.
Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, located at 12 Sagamore Hill Road, Oyster Bay, New York, is a unit of the National Park Service. The site was established by Congress in 1962 to preserve and interpret the structures, landscape, collections and other cultural resources associated with Theodore Roosevelt’s home in Oyster Bay, New York, to ensure that future generations understand and appreciate the life and legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, his family and the significant events associated with him. For more information please check our website at www.nps.gov/sahi or call 516-922-4788.
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