Mission Statement
The Nassau County SWCD is committed to the protection, preservation, restoration and enhancement of our natural resources by providing education, technical assistance and consensus for all land users.
UPDATES:
ART CONTEST & Local Wine for Water Wise Land Use Party
6/14 @ Old Bethpage Village Restoration, 6p.m.-8p.m.
Calling all gardeners, potters, photographers, woodworkers, sculptors and artisans!
NC Soil & Water Conservation District is hosting an art competition and networking event to raise money to build community gardens & support environmental programs. The party will be held June 14th at the newly restored barn at the Fairgrounds at Old Bethpage Village Restoration, 1303 Round Swamp Road, Old Bethpage, NY 11804 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Artists receive a portion of the sale proceeds and are eligible to win one of the $1,500 in prizes. All art must reflect the natural environment.
If you are not entering any art and just want to be a part of the fun at the party it is $25 to enter if you RSVP by June 1st or $35 after this date.
To sign-up for the contest or party please email Art4SoilandWater@gmail.com or contact board member Jaime Van Dyke Doran at (516) 677-5853.
To see complete contest rules click here: FINAL DRAFT – FLYER 3-15-12 – 8 1-2 x 14
To just purchase a ticket to the party click here: Pay by credit card
1st Annual LI Green Infrastructure Conference & Expo
Focus: Protecting Our Water Resources
Thursday, June 21, 2012 8am-4pm
Sponsored by the Nassau and Suffolk Soil & Water Conservation Districts
Hosted by Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton NY
This Conference will facilitate the successful use of green technologies by municipalities, private developers and the general public to manage storm water. General and technical information on cost effective green infrastructure techniques that increase stormwater infiltration on and prevent adverse impacts to Long Island’s valuable water resources will be presented. Regional success stories will show how green infrastructure has been beneficially put into place and how these methods can be funded. To learn more call < 631-727 -2315 ext. 3 >.
Click here for: 
Program Agenda for Conference
Volunteers: Start Here to Find Opportunities
Volunteers are an essential part of planting gardens and caring for our communities. If you want to help make Nassau County a more beautiful and healthy place to live we have opportunities for you to help out near where you live and work.
As stewards of Nassau County not only do we contribute to the environment, but we also make community ties and new friendships that create a positive impact on our region. We are unique as a quasi-governmental agency in that we bring together government, environmental interests, commerce, and the public in a non-partisan and fun manner. We are able to get stuff done that government or homeowners and businesses can’t get done on their own.
Come be part of our movement to make Nassau County more “green” through work in the field or even in the office. You can learn so much and enjoy nature in either capacity. You will learn more about trees, gardening, healthy living, how government and environmental agencies work, and gain personal satisfaction that comes from providing for a better tomorrow.
Help we need in the field: digging up and preparing gardens, amending soil, cleanups of downtowns and shorelines.
Help we need in the office: from light office work to public relations (write press releases, create brochures, updating website, as well as build relationships with the media, elected officials, partner agencies, and the public).
Donations we need: tools, heavy equipment, office equipment and materials, and even funding. Money can be donated on our website or directly to the district by check or money order. We prefer not to handle cash.
Can you think of other ways you could help that we didn’t list?
Contact us at 516-364-5860 or nassauSWCD@optonline.net
Long Island Regional Envirothon 2012
Congratulations to the winning teams!
Wantagh High School in Nassau County
Sachem High School North Team in Suffolk County
Thanks to all of the participants, volunteers, sponsors and organizers who made this a wonderful and exciting experience
The 14th Annual Long Island Regional Envirothon was held on Wednesday April 25, 2012 at the USDAN Center for the Creative and Performing Arts in Wheatley Heights. The day started off with a chill in the air and sun shining. All of the preparation and study came down to this day. Thirty eight teams of 5 students each from both Nassau and Suffolk Counties showed up for the best environmental competition on Long Island. The 15 teams from NassauCounty and the 18 from Suffolk County and five alternate member teams were excited and ready to compete. The six testing stations had set up and were manned by there station masters.
The competition was fierce but fun with the teams battling for a variety of prizes. The two first-place teams from Nassau and Suffolk Counties received a total of $500 each in scholarships, PowerShot cameras, a printer for their respective school, and paid registration and transportation to compete in the New York State Envirothon held in May at Hobart & William Smith Colleges in Geneva,New York. The second place teams received kayak trips donated by JK Kayak in Hauppauge and Glacier Bay Sports in Northport. The third place prizes were nature guide books.
The winning teams from each county will now move onto the New York State Envirothon being held in May at Hobart & William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York. The registration and transportation to compete in the New York State Envirothon is being covered by the Long Island Regional Envirothon.
The 15th LIRE is going to be held at the Old Bethpage Village Restoration on Tuesday April 30, 2013. If your school wants to participate please contact either the Nassau or Suffolk County Soil and Water Conservation Districts or go to the LIRE website at, http://lienvirothon.org/
Beach Cleanup 2011 – Wantagh Park
Saturday September 17, 2011 was the American Littoral Society and Ocean Conservancies International Beach Cleanup day. The Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District was joined by 19 people to clean the waterfront around Wantagh County Park. Brownie Troop 491 from Bellmore New York was instrumental in cleaning the waterfront with 15 girls, parents and family members collecting over 160 pounds of garbage that would ordinarily pollute our waterways. Members of the Wantagh Junior Chamber of Commerce along with Operation Splash took to the water in one of Operation Splashes 7 boats to clean the bayside of West Jones Beach. There efforts were indispensable in helping us collect our total of 612 pounds of trash. We thank these two groups for their effort and community service in coming out on such a beautiful day and giving their time. Thanks to all our volunteers.
Operation SPLASH boat provided to help the cleanup
Brownie Troop 491 from Bellmore
New Rain Garden at Tackapausha Preserve, Seaford NY
Late summer time yielded many projects for the district including a 300 square foot rain garden, at Tackapausha Preserve’s Museum front entrance. The newest rain garden to Nassau County is 300 square ft with a depth of 2 ft. Inside there are warm season grasses, forbs, vibernum shrubs, creeping raspberry and cranberry bushes. Timing was perfect for this garden as it was installed right before Hurricane Irene brought in a lot of rainfall. The garden proved itself immediately following its completion! Take a look at the gallery that shows our progess and the final result:
Long Island Fair
On September 21st – 23rd, Nassau SWCD will have a booth at the Long Island Fair held at Old Bethpage Village Restoration. This table will be educational, providing information about stormwater pollution and practices that can be implemented locally to help curb this issue. We will have brochures and information packets, along with a demonstration rain barrel. Also we will be publicizing a rain barrel sale we are doing with New England Rain Barrel in October. Please take a look at the fair’s website and hope to see you there!
Soil and Water Conservation Districts Work for You!
Check out this publication on more ways that we can work to assist you:
NYS district article (852.5 KiB, 71 hits)
NCSWCD is promoting Green Infrastructure and the benefits of Green Roofs
Having spent time at various training sessions around New York, NCSWCD and its employees have broadened their knowledge in the area of green infrastructure and its practices and benefits. One interesting green infrastructure component is that of Green Roofs as we become more and more urbanized. They have many positive attributes associated with them and we want to make you more aware:
Green roofs:
- Retain up to 90% of the summer precipitation that falls on them and up to 40% in winter
- Reduce the amount of stormwater runoff and delays the time in which runoff occurs, resulting in decreased sewer system stress during peak flow
- Provide additional insulation which creates a reduction of 25% in cooling needs
- Reduce sound reflection and transmission by up to 40%
- Increases the life of the roof by at least two times
- Creates a wildlife habitat – increases bird and insect habitat
- Increases regional water quality
Here are some links with more information:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/67714.html
http://www.epa.gov/heatisld/resources/pdf/GreenRoofsCompendium.pdf
http://www.conservationtechnology.com/greenroof.html
http://www.greenroofs.com/index.html
http://realestate.msn.com/residential-gardens-reach-new-heights
Please contact us if you need any more information!
***UPDATE***
“The Lower Hudson – Long Island Resource Conservation and Development Council Inc. (LHLIRC&D) is still active and functioning”.
Congress has zeroed out the funding for RC&D program from the Federal budget for this year and next but the LHLIRC&D Council Inc. is an independent not for profit corporation and will remain viable. We will continue to work for and serve our 13 counties and New York City boroughs. Our focus on the natural resources, economic viability and people of our region will not waver. There are two signature projects that we have been working on. They are the Hudson Valley Grass Energy Project and the Foodway Corridor Project. Take a look at the attached document for more information.
Here are some letters written about the status of the LH-LI RC&D and projects underway:
RC&D Letter (179.5 KiB, 101 hits)
RC&D Foodway (187.0 KiB, 74 hits)
http://lhlircd.net/ RC&D factsheet.pdf Foodway factsheet.pdf
Nassau County SWCD on the air!
The District Manager of the SWCD was on the Lou Telano show, “Streetwise” on March 15,2011 discussing the districts function and how it can help the people of Nassau County. Brian Zimmerman and Donna Martini, a health and wellness advocate and Nassau County Planning Board Commissioner discussed the need to utilize open spaces, such as school yards, to produce good nutritious locally grown food for the health and vitality of the students. Brian spoke on the idea and how SWCD’s can help n this effort.
District Manager Brian Zimmerman in the studio with WGBB 1240
FAIRS, FESTIVALS and HOLIDAYS – 2012!
We will be attending many different educational events this winter to demonstrate our conservation practices to the public. Here are a few upcoming events:
- 2/13/2012 – Lincolns Birthday – Closed
- 2/14/2012 – Valentines Day
- 2/20/2012 – Presidents Day – Closed
- 3/7/2012 – Oceanside Ecology Fair
- 3/12/2012 – Cradle of Aviation Conservation Education Day
2011 Grants:
The grants that we received for 2011 are very exciting. The first one is to create an educational DVD that will focus on non-point sources of pollution. It will focus on adults and landscapers and companies that disturb the soil and there will be a short version for grade school students. We are very excited to begin work on this project and to distribute it to other agencies. The other grant is to revise the Nassau County Water Quality Coordinating Committee. This group is made up of officials from the local towns, county, and interested people to coordinate the needs of the natural resources of the county. We hope to coordinate all of the efforts that are being performed to address pollution and water quality.
A few last updates:
- March 26th 2012 – DEC Training – Old Bethpage Village Restoration
- February 17th, 2012 at 10:00 Nassau County SWCD Board meeting at the Malcolm House 5 Old Jericho Turnpike, Jericho NY. All are welcome to attend.
- March 15, 2012- RC&D teleconference
- RC&D will be applying for the USDA Rural Business Opportunity Grant for $50,000 to study the existing conditions opportunities and feasibility for waterborne transportation of agricultural products from the rural areas of the Hudson Valley. They will be reaching out to farmers to assess their needs and desires in relation to this project.