Reposted with permission, by Laura Markson, Nurture Native Nature In early spring my yard becomes a carpet of naturalized daffodils thanks to the hundreds of bulbs I strategically planted years ago. So far, they’ve been given a reprieve from my ruthless efforts to replace the non-native plants with natives to maximize the value of each plant adds to my wildlife habitat yard. This daffodil bud is one of hundreds in my yard and the universal sign that spring is on the way! You can see the blurry tangle of dried native plants it is growing through.
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by Jackie Grennon Brooks I’m restoring my backyard patch by patch. I’m following the Doug Tallamy rule of 70%. He has found that if we can restore our landscapes to 70% native plants, we can pretty much bring back the other native wildlife. I’ve said goodbye to the garlic mustard, am still working on that pesky English Ivy, and am tackling the barberries this spring. I am replacing them with natives. Through a conversation about wild geraniums at a local farmers market, Mindy Block, who grows and sells native plants for Quality Parks, was questioning just how native her wild geraniums really were (see photos Mindy took below). They were blooming later than Geranium maculatum are “supposed to bloom” and they were producing flowers with a much deeper color than expected. by Kim Simmen, KMS Native Plants It's almost that time of year again to start working in the garden. Here is my rant about The Home Depot, and all the big box stores. Image by Tham Yuan Yuan Please stop buying your plants at these establishments as they all still carry non-native, awful ground covers like creeping Jenny, English ivy, pachysandra, and vinca. by Linda Lombardo, Wild Heart Nature Connection (both in words and in photos) As a certified Forest Therapy guide, I’m often asked why someone would need me to lead them on a ‘hike’ through the woods. To say that it’s my sacred activism would only create more confusion or even the occasional ‘face screaming in fear’ emoji that mimics Edvard Munch’s famous painting, The Scream. Yes, it’s been done. Perhaps my sacred activism is also to share what I know about what Forest Therapy is and isn’t. Hand & Rock - Sands Point Preserve
Why Consider Rewilding For Life? The biggest benefit, also known as a reward for including native plants into an established garden, is that you increase biodiversity. Pictured below is the rewilding of Carpenter Farm Park by Go Native Long Island, a huge effort underway to restore its natural state.
by Mindy Block
Quality Parks Conservation pages list over 200 vetted parks and over 100 vetted park resources, attracting your attention to the multitude of Long Island natural adventures. Explore this video to learn more about how to navigate its information.
Technically, we're using Airtable to compile our data, and using SOFTR to create the user interface. Professional members have claimed their listings and support this environmental resource. We're also working on incorporating more information about who is taking tick bite prevention actions, and also taking climate change actions.
![]() by Mindy Block The Suffolk County cyberattack was months ago; their website is essentially still down. Local residents are being referred to Suffolk County Parks Facebook page regarding hunting and safety issues. Yet, only local residents with Facebook accounts who also know how to search for posts related to hunting can find this information. Quality Parks contacted Suffolk County representatives offering our consultation services to create a deer hunting page similar to the one used by NYSDEC. by Mindy Block
Port Jefferson - Sometimes you want to just cry about the injustice adults put upon a twelve year old kid. I drove over to East Beach where no sign, nor any lifeguard knew of this mid August beach closure. by Mindy Block
In 2013, I purchased a butterfly milkweed at Cathy's Flower Stand in Mt. Sinai thinking it was our native butterfly milkweed. I planted it in the backyard, and all was fine until it bloomed yellow. by Mindy Block Maine - "Unfortunately, seabirds are currently struggling against marine debris found in the Gulf of Maine. Tiny sea islands can be found not too far from the coast of Maine where they are uninhabited making a great area for colonies of nesting seabirds. However, this wonderful remote nesting area is becoming an endangerment to wild life due to the "pervasive hand of human influence". Lobster traps, buoys, ropes, etc. are found piled into mountains three to four feet high. The island is adapting to this disaster causing rocks and grass to grow around them. The worst part of this is that seabirds are building there nests within these piles. There are authors who have written articles discussing the types of harmful debris, how these debris cause harm to birds, and strategies to reduce the trash." - Jahdai-H; QP volunteer - in reviewing USFWS Long Island - "While there were already many organizations, agencies and individuals addressing marine debris in Long Island Sound, this plan represents the culmination of numerous discussions among these interested parties to develop a comprehensive framework of strategic actions to mitigate the impacts of marine debris over the next five years (2022-2027). Associated tracking and monitoring will enable all involved to assess collective progress towards achieving the identified goals." - May 2022 Long Island Sound Marine Debris Action Plan.
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Board MembersMindy Block, President & Founder
Annelies Kamran Caran Markson Fred Edel, Co-Chair Jenn Lucas Phil Benvin |
Quality Parks is a professional organization sponsoring projects to improve both business and environmental conditions by balancing social, economic and environmental concerns. We disseminate information, develop and provide experiential learning opportunities, and support efforts designed to stimulate, encourage, educate, and involve the general public in natural resource stewardship practices. We are a federally registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, since 2000, based in Port Jefferson, on Long Island, New York
Copyright © 2023, Quality Parks. All rights reserved.
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Search Our Portals, with Enhanced GoogleSuffolk County GIS is down since 9/22. Tax Map parcel research services is donated by Property Shark between 1/24/23-7/24/23.
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