The Northport Native Garden Initiative is ready to take your order for plants that will truly feel at home on your property. Order by 4/24!
Continue readingFirefly Artists to Host Northport Native Garden Initiative’s Winter Lecture
2025 Smart Growth Summit Addresses Affordability & More
On Friday, December 5th, Vision Long Island held their 2025 Smart Growth Summit. For decades now, this organization has made a huge difference, connecting great people and generally helping all sorts of folks wrap their heads around the challenges our communities face, as well as opportunities we have to improve the quality of our built environments.
As always, the Summit was a phenomenal event, featuring over 1,000 local community, business and government, downtown revitalization and community development leaders. There were nearly 20 workshops, 100 speakers, a trade show, and a Youth Summit. The ever insightful “State of the Towns and Villages” breakfast and luncheon alone, were worth the program price.
Check out the News12 Coverage
This year, there was extensive coverage from News12’s Rich Barrabi. Here is a preview, where Executive Director Eric Alexander provided a brief overview of what Vision does, noting that – while their approach is as grounded and holistic as ever — this year affordability is an exceptionally major concern. He discussed how this event essentially engages local leaders from a diversity of interests and perspectives to learn from and work together on a myriad of solutions. Together they make a big difference.
Here is live coverage from the morning of the event, where Eric roughly outlines the depth and range of professionals who attend, and the interconnected issues they address. The entire proceeding is filmed for public access. Fruits of the various panels and other discussions will inform and guide the organization’s lobbying efforts at all levels of government, as well as its work on the ground with an exceptionally broad variety of local stakeholders.
Over the weekend, as a segment on Power & Politics: Affordability on Long Island, Barrabi interviewed a handful of the many elected officials who attended the event, including Babylon Supervisor Rich Schaffer, North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, and Huntington Town Supervisor Ed Smyth adn Valley Stream Mayor Ed Fare.
A Wealth of Information and Insight
There is a lot touched on in those ten minutes. It’s just a taste of what was offered. This event is a great way to get an in-depth, inside scoop on a broad variety important local issues, including infrastructure, redevelopment, energy, human needs, small business, walkability, transportation and more.
Vision’s own preview may be found here. Segments of the event are already beginning to be published on their Vimeo. You can also check out in-depth interviews hosted by Eric Alexander featuring a broad range of local leaders, well as countless other important discussions they’ve hosted in the past.
It’s important stuff. Check back regularly to find out what they’re talking about now. Thanks!
2025 Smart Growth Summit
For decades now, Vision Long Island has made a huge difference in our communities, connecting great people and generally helping all sorts of folks wrap their heads around the challenges and opportunities to improve our built environment on LI. Their 2025 Smart Growth Summit is happening Friday, December 5, 2025 from 8am-2pm.
You can get a preview here. The event will feature over 1,000 local community, business and government, downtown revitalization and community development leaders. There will be nearly 20 workshops, 100 speakers, a trade show, and a Youth Summit. The breakfast “State of the Towns and Villages” and luncheon alone are worth the program price.
EVENT DETAILS
When: Friday, December 5, 2025, 8am-2pm
Where: Crest Hollow Country Club, 8325 Jericho Tpke, Woodbury, NY
Tickets: Available here
This is a great way to get an in-depth, inside scoop on important local issues, including infrastructure, redevelopment, energy, human needs, small business, walkability, transportation and more.
The LI Smart Growth movement generally attracts great people who care about the future of our communities. For an idea of the quality of folks who attend, check out these in-depth interviews hosted by Eric Alexander featuring a broad range of local leaders. You can also check out Vision’s YouTube channel to see important discussions they’ve hosted in the past, as well as people, projects and policies that they have highlighted.
It’s really valuable stuff. Best to come check out what they’re talking about now
Autumn Landscaping Resources
Autumn Landscaping: Plant Something and Chill
Autumn is a GREAT time for gardening! Click this link to learn why from Anthony Marinello of Dropseed Natives. Their most recent weekly newsletter announces their “Best of Long Island” nomination, and shares some of the great plants they have for sale at their Malverne nursery.
If you’d like something a little further east, I am personally a big fan of KMS Native Plants, which also has great things on sale this time of year. Thay also have a beautiful, searchable blog filled with all sorts of helpful information.
They are just a few of the great resources available to help Long Islanders learn how to use landscaping, not only to beautiful their world, but also to make it healthier.
On Leaving the Leaves
To explain why this is so beneficial, let’s start with another post from deeply knowledegable local expert Anthony Marinello of Dropseed Natives, “Leave the Leaves!”
This is rapidly becoming a very mainstream concept.
Here’s a piece from Homeserve.com, “Rake It or Leave It? Here’s Why You May Just Wanna Leave Your Leaves Where They Fall,” one from the USDA, and even one in Good Housekeeping.
Here’s an article from James Doubek for NPR on the subject.
Environmental groups have been saying this for years. Here’s the National Wildlife Federation on why.
And one from The Xerces Society: “Leave the leaves.”
BTW the Xerces Society is interesting. It’s really focused on saving invertebrates. Their work is deeply fundamental and yet applied at our level in the food chain, so it’s also really helpful! Their Facebook page is a wealth of basic, excellent advice.
…There are tips on winter cleanup, saving seeds, a beautiful sight of Monarch Butterflies migrating….
I learned about them from Long Island Native Plant Group on Facebook, a great community of incredibly knowledgeable and helpful folks who think about our local ecoscapes all year long
…but I digress…
…I was talking about leaving the leaves…
Well, Most of Them Anyway
The movement to leave the leaves is really important, but should be taken with a little common sense.
It also remains important to keep the driveway clear, as well as stone patios and pathways, assuming you wish to preserve them. The same goes for grass (though a thin layer of leaves may be mowed quite healthfully), which also likes to be aerated from time to time.
On my property, I’m dealing with invasive Norway Maples that I’m working to eradicate and replace with native trees as quickly as I can afford to do so. With them, I have found raking the leaves is fairly important as they seem particularly smother-y and slow to break down. As I am working to reduce their spread, I also want to be able to get their whirlybirds up in the spring!
As such, my approach isn’t so different from what these folks at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have to say, or The Spruce, here.
So, I do continue to rake a bit….mindfully….
Consider Losing the Lawn
Of course, while lawn health is among the biggest reasons to still rake, folks such as those from Re-Wild Long Island (an incredible collaboration of Long Island experts) suggest you consider doing away with your lawn instead.
This powerful opinion piece in the New York Times suggests you’d best “Kill your lawn before it kills you.”
On the West Coast, this has become a serious affair. Alternatives such as Xeriscaping, which focuses on minimizing water use, have become very popular. There, many factors including severe ongoing drought are coming together to prove that fighting the ecosystem for the sake of grass isn’t worth the trouble.
Related practices are gaining popularity across the country as communities come to realize that tending their own yard is a great way to nurture a healthier environment.
I’m not quite ready to ditch my lawn myself. However, I am committed to neither watering nor fertilizing nor spraying it with chemicals, and to doing all I can to maximize the ecological value of my property.
Here’s a nice piece from Brooklyn Greenways on why native plants are so important.
I am deeply inspired by projects like these “Rewilding Long Island” examples featured on the Rewild Long Island website.
See these 12 Inspiring ideas for a lawn-free landscape from porch.com, and some more on Houzz.
Check them all out and then go, tread lightly into winter, and dream of the upcoming spring.
(BTW: You can find resources for that here … it’s never too early to start planning!)
It’s Garden Time! Always.
The Northport Native Garden Initiative is ready to take your order for plants that will truly feel at home on your property. Order deadline extended to Thursday, 5/8!
Continue readingPlease Listen To This Woman. She Knows What She’s Talking About: Marian Conway’s Testimony on Bill to Limit Not-For-Profit Executive Compensation
All she’s asking for is reasonable compensation for nonprofit employees to do the work that has to be done. The way it is now, a non-profit often doesn’t even get reimbursement for reasonable expenses incurred while providing services! She won’t say it’s not fair – because life isn’t fair — but it’s not right!!!
Continue readingLIRPC Meeting to Focus on Our Groundwater
Basically, the Long Island Regional Planning Council (LIRPC) helps Long Island see its own big picture. Their next virtual meeting focuses on our groundwater…
Continue reading2024 Smart Growth Summit
For decades now, Vision Long Island has made a huge difference in our communities, connecting great people and generally helping all sorts of folks wrap their heads around the challenges and opportunities to improve our built environment on LI. Their 2024 Smart Growth Summit is happening Friday, December 6, 2024 from 8am-2pm.
The event will feature over 1,000 local community, business and government, downtown revitalization and community development leaders. There will be nearly 20 workshops, 100 speakers, a trade show, and a concurrent Youth Summit. The breakfast “State of the Towns and Villages” session and luncheon alone are worth the program price.
The full schedule can be viewed on their poster, posted below. Better images are available on Vision Long Island’s website.
This is a great way to get an in-depth, inside scoop on important local issues, including infrastructure, redevelopment, energy, human needs, small business, walkability, transportation and more.
The LI Smart Growth movement generally attracts great people who care about the future of our communities. For an idea of the quality of folks who attend, check out these in-depth interviews hosted by Eric Alexander featuring a broad range of local leaders. You can also check out Vision’s YouTube channel to see important discussions they’ve hosted in the past, as well as people, projects and policies that they have highlighted.
It’s really valuable stuff. Best to come check out what they’re talking about now
EVENT DETAILS
When: Friday, December 6. 2024
2024 Smart Growth Summit: 8am-2pm
25th Anniversary Celebration: 2pm-4pm
Where: Crest Hallow Country Club, 8325 Jericho Tpke, Woodbury, NY
Tickets: for each event must be purchased separately. Here is the link to purchase tickets for both events.
Love From the Garden: Savor Summer Blooms, Tend to Autumn Ones Now
Photo of native honeysuckle by Katheryn Laible
Garden Delights
I am thrilled at the hydrangeas this year, as well as echinacea and tick weed that, after splitting a few years ago I run out of faith would ever bloom again. I now have renewed hope for my NY Asters, too, but will have to wait and see…
Time to Trim the Goldenrod and Asters!
I can’t say for sure which of my many asters have returned yet this year, but I am certainly am tending to them! In fact this weekend is the perfect time to significantly cut back fall bloomers such as Agastache, Asters, Eupatorium/Eutrochium, Goldenrod, Helianthus, Heliopsis, Rudbeckia, Solidago, and more…
You can cut them to about 1/3 of their size. Then they’ll be bushier and less likely to be falling all over themselves come autumn!
There are more detailed, professional instructions (and a whole lot more great LI gardening guidance) on Facebook, courtesy of Dropseed Native Landscapes.
Building Community
I super grateful to them and everyone at the Long Island Native Plant Gardening Group, which is a FANTASTIC resource filled with great people. Find them in our Native Garden and Ecolandscaping Resources.
Knows other great resources? Let me know and we’ll add them to the list!
An Eagle Rises: A Celebration of Scouting – Thank You for Your Support
Eagle Scout Max Laible together with Scoutmasters Brian Zaino and Paco Shum on the night of the Eagle Scout Board of Review
My Max has been involved in the Scouts since he was first invited to join the Cubs when he was maybe eight or nine. He came home, handed me a flyer and said, “Mom? I think this is me.”
I think he was right! The Scouting program benefited Max tremendously, and while there were certainly challenges along the way, he seemed to enjoy just about every minute of it. I know of nothing else that so effectively provides the hands on, empowering, broadly based, leadership/community stewardship/handiness/survival/basic life skill sets that the Scouts do. It feeds into EVERYTHING he does.
Scouts accomplish more by their 18th birthdays than many do in a lifetime. When teachers would tell me how my child – who struggled with school – consistently showed leadership, responsibility and practical intelligence, I told them I credited the Scouts. The creativity, kindness and thoughtful, intelligent curiosity are all his own, but they’ve been exercised mightily through the Scouts.
He’s HAD to get organized; To Be Prepared.
“A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.”
A Scout Is...
People notice the Eagle Projects. While they are perhaps the most personal imprints a Scout might make, I will say they are but icing on the cake; a final hurrah in a decade-long journey. By the time a kid does his own project, they’ve participated in MANY service projects. Even more, they’ve taught, they’ve led, they’ve planned and they’ve tested, all while learning the value of being a mindful follower.
An Eagle Scout candidate has deeply considered what it means to care for self and family, as well as how to be a good citizen in their community, their nation, internationally and in society as a whole. They understand a bit of how local government works, and have been led to really think about the Constitution and its Bill of Rights. They’ve had basic, fundamental human values drilled into their heads weekly, and been engaged in regular interviews where they’re asked what these values mean and how they apply them in their daily lives.
The basic mandate is a golden one: They are to “Do a Good Turn Daily.”
Eagle Scouts have earned a great deal of merit badges, learning to care for self and others, exploring many potential careers and hobbies, and developing deep practical skills. They’ve actively shaped their own experience as well as that of those who lead and follow them. They’ve fed people, guided them on long journeys, learned to safely wield both fire and an axe, and prepared in case of emergency.
At our last Eagle Court of Honor, another Scoutmaster told about how his own child – not very old at all – was the cool head at the scene of a horrific motorcycle accident. This kid knew just what to do, because he was a Scout.
It’s training for big things, and basic preparation. I came in once to find Max teaching himself to knot a tie via his Scoutbook. This is not the only time I saw him pull out that tome as a general reference for life. In getting to last weekend, Max spent well over 70 nights camping, 77 hours performing public service and hiked many, many miles. He earned over 33 Merit Badges in a broad array of skills ranging from citizenship to life saving, camping to chemistry, animation to welding, physical fitness, family life, personal management…
Cliche as it may be, he can’t seem go anywhere without someone asking him how to tie some kind of knot.
He can conduct either end of a professional interview and has held increasingly responsible leadership positions for years. He worked on at least 12 Eagle projects and led more than 35 people to build his own.
…and, somehow, that’s just a little bit of it…
“On my honor I will do my best to make my training and example, my rank and my influence count strongly for better Scouting and for better citizen-ship in my Troop in my community and in my contacts with other people. To this I pledge my sacred honor.” ~Excerpt from the Eagle Oath
Eagle Projects
While an Eagle project is really just icing on the cake, it’s no lesser detail.
Eagle Projects must be identified, permitted, coordinated and constructed, ideally with the scout himself leading rather than doing as many aspects as possible. They have to create detailed plans (such that should they fall ill the troop can do the project without them), and rally both financial and volunteer support to realize them. Then, they have to report on how it all went.
I can’t remember all the projects Max has participated in, but I know they’ve ranged from dog playgrounds for local shelters, to endeavors to serve folks with Alzheimer’s and developmental disabilities; from trail markings to improvements to the church that hosts us. In his last year alone Max assisted:
Christian Arroyo in developing really cool bee hotels at Elijah Farm in Dix Hills.
Kyle Montagni in building an amazing outdoor classroom for the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery (I love that we can see this one from the road every time we drive by!)
Ashishpal DeWal in transforming an aging Eagle Project greenhouse into a beautiful new butterfly sanctuary for the Cornell Cooperative Extension’s East Meadow Farm.
The full list of Troop 205 Eagles is thus:
2014 Matthew Duggan
2014 Tully Frain
2014 John Edward Zaino
2016 Thomas Clarke
2016 Spencer Gliner
2016 Hayden Dancy
2016 Elizar Alden Aspiras
2018 Jack Mok
2018 Vincent Eng
2018 Marc Huo
2018 Matthew Gavieta
2018 Terence Smith
2018 Andrew Aspiras
2022 Grant Dell’Anno
2022 Christian Arroyo
2023 Kyle Montagni
2023 Ashishpal DeWal
2023 Maxwell Owen Laible
Each had a different journey, making deep and unique contributions to the community. So did many other scouts who never made Eagle (only about 6% generally do!), but who will be influenced by their scouting experience for the rest of their lives. Max will tell you each one of them has been important to his own experience as well.
Max’s Project: Building an Educational Gateway at the Nassau County Museum of Art
Max’s own project involved building a visual gateway to native grasslands now being restored at the Nassau County Museum of Art in Roslyn Harbor. We wrote a little bit about this before here and here. The final project included a split rail fence, a kiosk that serves as an outdoor education asset, and a model garden of native plants. We are delighted to report that the plants are now being maintained and expanded upon by a local garden club.
This could not have happened without folks who cared to help. These included fellow Scouts, returning Eagles, parent leaders, friends, family, teachers, and great neighbors. Some offered guidance. Others, financial support. Some lent tools and gave materials. Many rolled up their sleeves and showed up to get the final job done. In particular, we offer grateful thanks to:
Michael Borra
Sofia Calle
Kenneth Cao
The Ceron Family
Amy Cincotta
The Clarke Family
Greg Dancy
The DeWal Family
Jim Darcy
Matthew Duggan
The Gliner Family
Angelo Guardado
Jean Henning
Danielle Kaplan
The Laible Family
Gail Lamberta
Jennifer Lau
The Lim Family
Katrina Ludwikowski
The Ma Family
The Montagni Family
Craig Mooers
Drigo Morin
Rob Nock
Northport Native Garden Initiative
Gavin Ng
Jamie Pedicini
Adrianna Peres-DaSilva
Riverhead Building Supply
Lizette Sanlés
The Shum Family
Justin Tian
Brian Zaino
Lawrence Zeltzer
There were so many more who contributed to this journey, and comprise a village Max will value for as long as he lives. In his program, Max wrote this:
“I am more than thankful for the many years of guidance, care, patience, and humor volunteered by the adult and youth leaders in the troop. I am honored to follow, lead, teach and learn from each and every one of them. I am immensely grateful to all who were there for me during my arduous journey. They made every minute worth the experience. ~ Yours in Scouting, Max”
We are grateful. Thanks.