Exciting January Events - Join us in the Greenbelt!
Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt
January 2022
Poxabogue Field Update and More
by Dai Dayton, FLPG President
We are sorry to report that our petition and your many letters and phone calls have not convinced the Southampton Town Board to safeguard the water quality of Poxabogue Pond by changing the use of Poxabogue Field from agriculture to open space. While we remain steadfast in our view that the best use of the eight-acre Poxabogue Field is to leave it in its natural state, a compromise developed by the Peconic Land Trust in conjunction with Cornell Cooperative Extension has been put forward as an alternative to traditional agricultural use, and the FLPG board has voted to collaborate on the undertaking. A demonstration project with two goals: first, to showcase vegetative buffers for use on shorelines to curb nutrient-rich surface water runoff into adjacent waterways and second, to demonstrate regenerative agricultural practices that improve soil health and the ability of the land to absorb nitrogen and other nutrients before they enter the groundwater. Details have not yet been officially presented to the Town Board, but we will update you when the plan moves forward.
Other threats to the Long Pond Greenbelt are coming hard and fast these days. The most pressing is Verizon’s plan for a 153-foot high cell tower (in the form of a stealth tree monopole) at the Sag Harbor Village property at 1310 Bridgehampton/Sag Harbor Turnpike. This property is bordered on the north, east, west and south by lands preserved by the Nature Conservancy, Suffolk County, and Southampton Town, and it too should be preserved. Tens of millions of dollars have been spent over decades to preserve the Long Pond Greenbelt in the middle of which the cell tower would be located. Verizon is seeking a zoning special exception use and has been participating in public, pre-submission conferences with the Planning Board. We urge you to step up and voice your concerns. Letters to the Planning Board can be sent to jlofaro@southamptontownny.gov, townclerk@southamptontownny.gov. The Sag Harbor Express article regarding this issue can be found at: https://sagharborexpress.com/neighbors-environmentalists-urge-verizon-to-drop-call-for-cell-tower-in-long-pond-greenbelt/.
Slade Pond Sighting: Green-Winged Teal
by Sharone Einhorn, FLPG Board Member
The Friend’s work removing invasive Japanese knotweed at Slade Pond has yielded an unexpected bonus, more habitat for the Green-winged Teal!
These ducks, the smallest of the ‘dabbling’ ducks, love shallow wetlands, flooded fields, and marshlands. About the size of a pigeon, both sexes have green wing patches, but the female is mottled brown, while the drake has a brownish head with a dark green patch extending back from the eyes. These ducks feed by tipping rather than diving, and swim with their tail clear of the water. They migrate from North America via all major flyways to reach wintering grounds as far south as Central America. (Photo Credits: Jim Colligan)
Sagg Swamp:
Explore More of the Greenbelt in 2022
by Sandra Ferguson, FLPG Vice President
As I walked the Sagg Swamp trails in October, it struck me that people sometimes forget that Sagg Swamp Preserve is part of the Long Pond Greenbelt. Montauk Highway may separate it from the more well-known section of the Greenbelt running from Sag Harbor to Bridgehampton, but the swamp is an important part of the Greenbelt’s ecosystem, forming the connection between the Greenbelt’s northern freshwater coastal plain ponds with brackish Sagg Pond to the south, where the Greenbelt officially terminates. Established in the 1990s by The Nature Conservancy, the Sagg Swamp Preserve encompasses 105 acres of beautiful swampland. Its network of pathways includes an enchanting boardwalk skimming across boggy areas and streams. It is a great destination for birders: over 44 nesting species having been catalogued, while dozens more pass through during spring and fall migrations. If you are interested in exploring more of the Long Pond Greenbelt in 2022, I highly recommend that you check out Sagg Swamp Preserve, a hidden gem. Look for the entrance sign on the north side of Sagaponack Road between Ocean Road and Sagg Main Street.
Upcoming Events in January
Important: Maximum 25 attendees - to register, please email or call (as noted in event detail). Masks required for unvaccinated participants. Priority at all events given to 2022 FLPG Members. Dress appropriately for ticks.
Saturday, January 15 – Old Farm Road Cleanup, 8:00AM-9:00AM. Help clean up the roadside along FLPG’s adopted road. Meet at Poxabogue Park, 191 Old Farm Road, Sagaponack. Bring gloves, bags provided. For more information, contact Peter Wilson, 631-553-1393.
Monday, January 17 – Full Wolf Moon Hike, 5:30PM-6:30PM. Co-sponsored by Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt (FLPG) and the South Fork Natural History Museum (SOFO). Legend has it that native tribes related this moon to the nighttime howling of wolves. Join us to mark the first of the year’s full moons on this leisurely-paced hike through Vineyard Field’s open-field trails. Meet at the SOFO Museum parking lot, 377 Bridgehampton Turnpike, 200 yards north of the RR tracks. Leader: Jean Mc Dermott, 631-599-2391.
Saturday, January 22 – Hike to Truman Capote Stone, 10:00AM-11:30AM. Meet at the Long Pond Greenbelt Nature Center, 1061 Bridgehampton/Sag Harbor Turnpike. Join Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt for a moderately-paced 3-mile hike through oak and hickory forest with views of Crooked Pond, Long Pond, and Deer Drink. Leader: Dai Dayton, 631-745-0689.
Sunday, January 30 – Long Pond Greenbelt Hike, 10:00AM-Noon. Meet at Poxabogue Park, 191 Old Farm Road, Sagaponack. Hike around Crooked Pond, figure 8 loop back to start. Moderately-paced, about 4 miles total. STPS Leaders: Eric and Hilary Woodward, 631-903-7895.
Our 2022 Membership Drive is Underway
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