Sustainable Long Island
May 2015
Sustainable Long Island Newsletter
The one-stop-shop...
For all Sustainable Long Island news! 
In This Issue
Sustainable LI to Build Community Garden and Rain Garden in Central Islip
Wyandanch Village Ribbon Cutting
Is Long Island Prepared?
2015 Arthur Kunz Memorial Scholarship Breakfast
Oh Mother Nature, What Did You Do?
May 4-8: National Small Business Week
Board of Directors
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Sustainable LI to Build Community Garden and Rain Garden in Central Islip
Gardens a part of new environmental education program   

Sustainable Long Island has been awarded an $8,500 grant from the ERM Group Foundation in support of an environmental education project that will teach underprivileged youth from Central Islip about sustainability issues facing Long Island.  

  

Working with the community organization Teatro Experimental Yerbabruja, Sustainable Long Island will build a community garden, as well as utilize a rain garden and rain barrels at the site of the newly opened Teatro Yerbabruja Central Islip Arts Center.

 

The program will teach youth the principles of sustainability, as well as the importance of water conservation, how to establish clean water mechanisms, and about opportunities to enhance food access. 

Community gardens are a valuable tool toward promoting greater food access, and bring together people of different ages, genders, and ethnicities. These gardens also reduce neighborhood carbon footprints; beautify neighborhoods; contribute to a sense of place; promote education about agriculture; and improve participant's nutrition.  

 

Rainwater capture and stormwater runoff green infrastructure techniques, such as rain gardens and rain barrels, are an important tool toward environmental conservation. Implementing rain gardens is a proven way to reduce water pollution, and beautify yards. By using rain barrels, the average homeowner can save 1,300 gallons of water during the growing season.

 

The property - located at 63 Carleton Ave. - is large enough to accommodate both projects, which aim to empower local youth and residents with resources to build a sustainable future.

 

The program itself is sustainable for a variety of factors including:

  • The irrigation system connected to the rain garden and rain barrel elements of the program will be an ongoing water source for the community garden;
  • The gardens will be built at Teatro Experimental Yerbabruja Central Islip Arts Center, a year-round venue for community art projects, run by an established community organization committed to ensuring maintenance of the infrastructure of the program;
  • Sustainable Long Island will deliver support and guidance through training and workshops, transferring skills to the community so they will learn how to maintain the program in the long run.

"Building these two gardens from the ground up will help build the next generation of environmental leaders," said Amy Engel, Executive Director, Sustainable Long Island. "With ERM Group Foundation's generous funding, this partnership consisting of highly dedicated staff and volunteers can truly make a difference in Central Islip and the surrounding areas.

 

Wyandanch Village Ribbon Cutting
Bringing "character, village feel" to downtown Wyandanch 

Sustainable Long Island was in attendance this past weekend at a special ribbon cutting for the Wyandanch Village rental apartments.

Over 60 residents are already moved into the first apartment building constructed as part of the massive revitalization effort known as Wyandanch Rising.

Located at 40 Station Drive, the ribbon cutting ceremony included words from Master Developer Russ Albanese of the Albanese Organization (Sustainable LI Board Member); Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone; Town of Babylon Supervisor Richard Schaffer; and Suffolk County Legislator DuWayne Gregory, among others.

The stunning building features energy-efficient features (LED lighting), aesthetic touches (a wooden banister for the lobby staircase), and a bike rack for each apartment. The building also has 17,500 square feet of retail space on the ground floor with 1,600 of that space planned for Roslyn Savings Bank.

Congratulations to all involved on this wonderful project and comprehensive revitalization effort dating back to 2003, when Sustainable Long Island facilitated the original community-based planning process. Wyandanch Rising initially brought together hundreds of homeowners, renters, business and property owners, civic groups, clergy, planners, architects, and government officials to develop a vision plan that would soon become a regional trend: a pedestrian-friendly community where people can live in multistory buildings - within close proximity to goods, services, and activities - not needing cars for everyday transportation.

  

Is Long Island Prepared?
Severe Weather Awareness Week keeps discussion at the forefront  

Sustainable Long Island has been conducting an island-wide study of residents in Nassau and Suffolk Counties which will help determine if Long Islanders are in fact better prepared since Superstorm Sandy.

The data collected from this Storm Readiness Assessment focuses on, but is not limited to emergency kits and supplies; evacuation plans and strategies; and access to information or knowledge about what to do before, during, and in the aftermath of large-scale storms.

At https://surveymonkey.com/r/liprepared you can easily fill out the 18 multiple choice question survey in under 5 minutes!

All data gathered from the Storm Readiness Assessment will be used to identify any gaps that exist in current levels of resident preparedness. To identify improvements that can be made moving forward, Sustainable Long Island will share this information with key leaders and decision makers, such as the American Red Cross, Nassau County Department of Emergency Management, Suffolk County Office of Emergency Management, NYS Office of Storm Recovery, the Federal Emergency Management Administration, and Long Island Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster.


2015 Arthur Kunz Memorial Scholarship Breakfast
Sustainable LI's own Gabrielle Alper awarded 

On May 15th, 2015 the APA Long Island Section will hold its annual Arthur Kunz Memorial Scholarship Breakfast between 8:00 AM  and 10:30 AM at Molloy College's Suffolk Center at Republic Airport.  Each year, the best and brightest of Long Island's future and young planners strive for the Arthur Kunz Scholarship, which allows for the recipient to attend the annual American Planning Association Conference. This year's presentation includes: 

 

Water Quality Management:  

A Coastal New England Case Study

  

Moderated by:

Sarah Lansdale, Director of Planning, Suffolk County Department of Economic Development & Planning

 

Featured Speakers:

Kristy Senatori, Deputy Director, and Erin Perry, Special Projects Coordinator for the Cape Cod Commission will speak to the Cape's plans for water quality management.

 

Like Suffolk County and parts of Nassau County, nitrogen from septic systems have impaired Cape Cod's coastal waters, which are critical to the area's economy. The Cape Cod Commission is completing a Regional Wastewater Management Plan and an update to the Section 208 Area-wide Water Quality Management Plan. The plans introduce residents and policy makers to the science, the challenges, and the potential solutions for managing wastewater in an efficient and cost-effective way.  

 

Honoring Scholarship Recipients:

Each year, the best and brightest of Long Island's new and future professional planners compete for the Arthur Kunz Scholarship, which provides funds to its recipients for attendance at the annual American Planning Association National Conference. This year, the Arthur Kunz Memorial Scholarship has been awarded to three planners who were selected following a competitive process. The following young planners have received $1,500 for attendance at the 2015 APA National Planning Conference in Seattle, Washington and each will take a few moments during the breakfast to share some highlights from their experiences:
  • Gabrielle Alper, Sustainable Long Island
  • Emily Humes, Hunter College
  • Megan Porter, City of Long Beach
For more information, click here.

 

Oh Mother Nature, What Did You Do?
Helping Your Garden Cope With Weather Disaster
 

Hosted by Adopt A House's "Adopt A Yard" Program and presented by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, this workshop will focus on the impact of crazy weather on formerly sane gardens and how to plan, plant and care for your garden in the context of a weather disaster and during the normal ups and downs of  Long Island's growing season.

 

Participants will learn:

  • How to select the proper plant for their garden
  • To recognize and avoid common problems during normal weather and following wild weather
  • Do's and don'ts of creating gardens
Saturday, May 2, 2015 from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Lindenhurst- Rainbow Senior Center
293 Buffalo Avenue
Lindenhurst, NY 11757 
 

9:30-11:00 AM  

A presentation on fortifying your garden against weather extremes.

 

11:00 AM-12:30 PM
Gardening Q+A and help IDing your plant problems--so bring your plant samples with you! A demonstration of proper planting of both herbaceous (perennials) and woody plants, and a teaching about important soil health considerations.

 

Click here for more information on how we can make the South Shore bloom again by getting our gardens back in shape!

May 4-8: National Small Business Week
Blog post by SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet
 

With apologies to baseball and your mother's apple pie, nothing is more American than National Small Business Week.

 

Our country was founded by risk-taking pioneers in search of new horizons. More than two centuries later, what sets America apart in the world is the willingness of our entrepreneurs to take risks. Small businesses allow Americans to be their own boss and improve their lot in life through hard work - a core American value.

 

Every year since 1963, the President of the United States has issued a proclamation declaring National Small Business Week to recognize the critical contributions of America's entrepreneurs, who create nearly two out of every three net, new U.S. jobs each year. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said it was our small businesses that powered our recovery after the Great Recession.

 

National Small Business Week, themed "SBA: Dream Big, Start Small," will be held May 4-8.

 

America is one of the few countries that give entrepreneurs a seat at the President's cabinet table. This allows the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to speak with one voice on behalf of 28 million small businesses with divergent interests.

 

The SBA also offers an extensive national network of small business lenders and counselors that's unmatched anywhere in the world. Many entrepreneurs with great ideas and great potential do not begin with great wealth, so they need a great government partner to support their success.

 

The SBA offers the "three Cs" to help the best and brightest start or grow a business, secure capital, and commercialize their ideas to benefit society:

 

-Capital: SBA fill gaps in the commercial lending marketplace so success in the small business sector is based on merit, not family wealth.

 

- Counseling: SBA provides free consultation and advice to help businesses on Main Street succeed.

 

- Contracts: SBA levels the playing field with big business by helping small businesses capture new revenue and new customers by winning government contracts, joining corporate supply chains, and exporting beyond our borders.

 

This year, during National Small Business Week, we recommit ourselves to those fearless entrepreneurs who plan well, work hard, and dream big. Every business starts small. Nike, Apple, FedEx, Ben & Jerry's, Under Armour and Outback Steakhouse were all once small businesses, until they found an SBA lender or investor to work with them.

 

Success in business comes one small step at a time. So dream big, but take that next small step today, because the next great American success story could be staring back at you in the mirror.

Sustainable Long Island is proud to be a supporting sponsor of National Small Business Week 2015.

Together we can build a more
sustainable Long Island

 

These challenging economic times have magnified the problems we Long Islanders face each and every day. With our leaders warning us of tougher times to come, thinking regionally and acting locally is urgent. It is in all of our best interests to stay engaged and do what we can together to build a more sustainable Long Island.

 

Please consider making a tax-deductible gift to Sustainable Long Island that will help support our ongoing and future work within your Long Island communities; while helping advance economic development, environmental health, and social equity!

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Sincerely,

The Board and Staff of Sustainable Long Island