We had a great time this past Saturday at our annual Volunteer Thank You party -- this year the celebration was at Bridge Gardens in Bridgehampton -- which is alive with the colors of fall.
Over 60 volunteers joined us in celebrating a great season and are looking forward to next year. We could not do many of the programs at the Peconic Land Trust without the support of our volunteers --
over 200 strong! Volunteers do everything from work on committees ranging from stewardship, projects, philanthropy, public policy and outreach, to assisting with the development and execution of special events, and our educational and recreational programs.
Visit our Facebook page for more pictures from Saturday's party
and all of our activities from this past year! Interested in joining our volunteer corps? We already have scheduled our volunteer orientation for 2014! Save the date: Saturday, May 3, 2014, from 10 am to noon. Again we are offering two locations: Bridge Gardens in Bridgehampton and the North Fork Stewardship Center in Cutchogue. Email
Kathy Kennedy or call her at 631.283.3195, ext. 29, for more information.
At this year's volunteer party, we also kicked off our programming for the upcoming #GivingTuesday on December 3, 2013.
Peconic Land Trust Partners with #GivingTuesday for an International Day of Giving.
As a kick-off to the traditional 'season of giving' the Peconic Land Trust is partnering with the #GivingTuesday movement to spread awareness about the work of the Trust, encourage charitable giving and to give back to the community on December 3, 2013.
#GivingTuesday is led by the 92nd Street Y (who have since partnered with the United Nations Foundation, GlobalGiving, and others) to transform how people think, talk about and participate in the giving season. #GivingTuesday will harness the power of social media to create a international movement around the holidays dedicated to giving, similar to how Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become days that are, today, synonymous with holiday shopping.
On December 3rd, the Peconic Land Trust will be using social media outlets to encourage supporters and followers to help raise awareness about the conservation work and efforts of the Trust in the community, as well as encourage fundraising and volunteering. If you would like to join us with our efforts please be sure to "like" us on Facebook and "follow" us on Twitter (@PeconicLandTrus) and please encourage your family, friends and neighbors as well, so you will be up to date with all our #GivingTuesday activities.
Volunteering is a wonderful way to give to your community and a way to show support for the Peconic Land Trust. As part of #GivingTuesday we will be offering three special volunteer activities on December 3rd:
Also, Trust staff will be collecting donations for the local food pantries at these stewardship locations as well as at the Trust's main office at 296 Hampton Road in Southampton Village.
Please contact either Kathy Kennedy, Outreach Manager, or Lisa Pepe, Events coordinator if you can help at one of these volunteer activities or just want to learn more about #GivingTuesday at 631.283.3195.
Upcoming Events:
Watercolor Workshop and Pop Up Art Show at Bridge Gardens
Join Lois Bender for the final watercolor class in this year's workshop series
Saturday, November 16, 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at Bridge Gardens, with a focus on holiday florals. Class is $45/person plus materials, and prepaid reservations are required. Just email Lois at
[email protected].
Open House Art Exhibition
Immediately following the class, join her students and several of the artists of Plein Air Peconic -- they have a permanent exhibition of works in the Garden House -- for an exhibition of student art!
The Open House and art exhibition will be from 2 - 4 p.m. at Bridge Gardens, 36 Mitchell Lane, Bridgehampton. Please join us for light refreshments and to see the impressive work completed by Lois' students this year!
Holiday Wreath Workshop with Diana Conklin returns to Bridge Gardens on Sunday, December 8, from 2-4 p.m.
Back by popular demand! Join us for a Holiday Wreath workshop by
Everlastings by Diana, where participants will be guided by Diana Conklin who is bringing her unique educational program back to Bridge Gardens. All the materials will be included: pre-made plain evergreen wreaths (generously donated by
Lynch's Garden Center of Southampton) along with a wealth of additional, locally-grown greens, dried flowers, seed pods and berries. Feel free to bring your own ribbon, seashells, feathers, lights and other decorative items -- Diana will demonstrate how to make your vision come true!
This popular program is limited to 20 people -- pre-registration and pre-payment are required. $30/person. Fee includes materials -- including 10" wreath and dried flowers, leaves, and grasses -- and light refreshments. To register, c
ontact Robin Harris at 631.283.3195 ext. 19.
Peconic Land Trust Partners with Southold Elementary School to
Teach Students About Farming and Healthy Eating
The Peconic Land Trust recently hosted students from th
e Southold Elementary School as part of a bi-annual program to teach them about life on a farm, proper nutrition, and the work that goes into growing fruits and vegetables on Long Island. Ken Grimball of News12LI was also on hand -- click here to see Ken digging in the dirt (for the first time) with the students!
The students along with their teachers, Lucille Jones, Melissa Fraccalvieri, and Maureen Radigan, joined North Fork Stewardship Manager Denise Markut at the Trust's Agricultural Center at Charnews Farm in Southold. This working farm is a place where the North Fork community can learn firsthand the ins and outs of gardening techniques. The students dug for potatoes, and learned nutrition facts about the produce Long Islanders eat on a daily basis. The students also enjoyed a healthy snack of kale chips as a reward for their hard work in the fields throughout the day.
The class visit was a part of the Peconic Land Trust's unique stewardship and outreach programs, which are intended to engage the East End school community in land conservation, farming and the value of eating locally grown produce. Want to see more, check out our Facebook page for pictures of the kids in action!
Like to get involved with the educational programs at the Ag Center? Contact
Denise Markut at 631.734.5630.
New York State Land Conservation Summit
April 10 - 11, 2014, The Thayer Hotel, West Point, New York
The Peconic Land Trust, working in partnership with more than a dozen land trusts across New York State, is in the planning stages of a land conservation conference focused on issues important to land protection in the state. The summit, entitled
Investing in Healthy Communities, will bring together a diverse, sophisticated and enthusiastic group of conservation leaders, practitioners, decision-makers and stakeholders for an intensive two-day summit to share knowledge and learn from experts on effective land protection tools and techniques, fundraising strategies and public/private partnerships.
Interested in joining us? Visit www.NYSLandSummit.org for more information on presentations and fields trips. Online registration will open on January 6. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.
This is a great opportunity to meet with land conservation professionals and volunteers from across New York State. For more information, email
Dawn Haight or call 631.283.3195, ext. 34.
The Summit is funded in part through the Environmental Protection Fund and New York State Conservation Partnership Program, administered by the Land Trust Alliance in coordination with the Department of Environmental Conservation. Quail Hill Farm Winter CSA Shares
Near Amagansett this winter? Quail Hill Farm has winter CSA shares available. The winter share season starts just before Thanksgiving and continues through February 2014. Share holders enjoy everything from fresh eggs, sweet potatoes and carrots to winter squash, greenhouse greens, and garlic.
or call 631.283.3196 ext. 19.