Photo Credit: Michael Gil
Co-sponsored by Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt & South Fork Natural History Museum (SoFo)
Hike Leader: Jean Dodds, Secretary, Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt
Native Americans named this bright moon for obvious reasons. Leaves are falling from trees, deer are fattened, and it’s time to begin storing meat for the long winter ahead. Because the fields were traditionally harvested in late September or early October, hunters could easily see fox and other animals that came out to eat the fallen grains. Join us for this leisurely paced one-hour hike in Vineyard Field, the field behind the South Fork Natural History Museum (SoFo), and afterward for some convivial conversation and refreshments in the moonlight.
Advance reservations are required for all events. For more information, reservations, and directions to meeting places, please call: (631) 537-9735.
Photo Credit: Kyle Campbell
Cosponsored by South Fork Natural History Museum & the Town of Southampton
Program Leader: Frank Quevedo, Executive Director, South Fork Natural History Museum
Our woodlands are home to dozens of birds that only flourish in densely wooded areas. These birds include the Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Northern Cardinal and Tufted Titmouse. Searching for these birds, or any others, in the dense, deciduous forest can be a challenge, but if you are familiar with their songs and calls identification will be much easier. Join Frank on this walk to learn how bird sounds can be your biggest ally and which tools you can acquire to help enhance your birding skills. Bring your binoculars, a scope — if you have one—insect repellent, and a field guide to birds of eastern North America, if you have one.
Advance reservations are required for all events. For more information, reservations, and directions to meeting places, please call: (631) 537-9735.
Walk Leader: Dr. Keith Serafy. Dr. Serafy is a marine invertebrate zoologist who has recently retired after teaching for 27 years at Southampton College of LIU and the last 12 years at Long Island University, Brooklyn. He has lived on the East End since 1973
Join Marine Zoologist Dr. Keith Serafy for a 90-minute walk through the Nature Conservancy’s Scallop Pond Preserve. The walk begins in an upland oak forest and leads to a spectacular saltmarsh that surrounds Scallop Pond. Dr. Serafy will identify the characteristic plants and animals of both habitats and discuss their special adaptations for living in these environments. Bring your camera and binoculars for the beautiful fall scenery.
Advance reservations are required for all events. For more information, reservations, and directions to meeting places, please call: (631) 537-9735.
Photo Credit: USFWS
Program Presenter: Samantha Hoff, wildlife technician for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation working in the field of bat conservation for the past five years, and PhD student at the University at Albany. Her research involves studying northern long-eared bat populations across coastal communities in the northeast, including Long Island, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket.
Formerly a common species, northern long-eared bats are now rarely encountered on the landscape throughout much of their range, due to devastating population declines resulting from white-nose syndrome. Since the arrival of this invasive fungal disease in 2006, northern long-eared bats have experienced rapid extirpation from hibernation sites, leading to a federal listing of Threatened in 2015. Despite this trend, recent evidence shows populations off the coast of the northeastern US are persisting despite exposure to the disease. Ongoing research investigating the mechanisms allowing these populations to persist includes tracking bats to find hibernation sites, studying winter activity patterns and the availability of prey, and testing for prevalence of the disease. Whichever factors may be contributing to survival, it is clear that Long Island is an important place for bat conservation!
Advance reservations are required for all events. For more information, reservations, and directions to meeting places, please call: (631) 537-9735.
Drawing by Susan Rubin
Workshop Leader: Muriel Appelbaum. Muriel is a working artist with an MFA in Studio Art from Pratt Institute in NYC. She mostly draws from nature—landscapes, people, and live animals. See her artwork at www.murielappelbaum.com.
Do you think you’d enjoy drawing, but can’t seem to find the perfect time to do it? Come draw with us. If you’ve drawn before, come hone your skills in a comfortable and relaxed place and, if drawing is new for you, this is an enjoyable way to get started in an encouraging setting. Bring a 9”x12”drawing pad with a hard back for support and two drawing implements—for example, a very soft (dark) pencil (4B is good), conté crayon, or ballpoint pen.
Advance reservations are required for all events. For more information, reservations, and directions to meeting places, please call: (631) 537-9735.
Photo Credit: Miles Todaro
Program Presenter: Miles Todaro, South Fork Natural History Museum Environmental Educator
While people generally don’t have to fear spiders, they’re one of the scariest things an insect can come across. Spiders are one of the top predators for their size and are often capable of taking down prey much larger than themselves. While most people are familiar with the webs that many spiders make, there are actually a lot of different ways spiders catch their food. Join Miles to learn more about these tiny top predators and participate in a fun spider-themed craft! Materials fee $3
Advance reservations are required for all events. For more information, reservations, and directions to meeting places, please call: (631) 537-9735.
Cosponsored by the Wellness Foundation and the South Fork Natural History Museum (SoFo)
Enjoy a palette-pleasing variety of heart-healthy, whole-food, plant-based dishes at this Wellness Foundation Community Potluck Dinner. Please bring a plant-based dish serving 6-8 people, to share with others, a serving spoon, and a copy of your recipe, as well as plates and utensils for you and your guests—no animal products, please! Special guest, Kristen Dehler, will share with us an “Introduction to Mindfulness” and we will practice a 5-minute exercise. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions. The mindfulness exercises are proven stress management techniques and have many other health benefits as well. The Wellness Foundation is proud to have Kristen teaching its WKids Program. She also teaches Mindfulness Classes for children and adults on the East End in various locations. There is a suggested donation of $10, which helps with the Foundation’s free WKids program in the schools on the East End.
Advance reservations are required for all events. For more information, reservations, and directions to meeting places, please call: (631) 537-9735.
Walk Leader: Xylia Serafy, South Fork Natural History Museum (SoFo) Environmental Educator
The Long Pond Greenbelt is widely recognized as one of the most ecologically significant areas in all of New York State. At the cornerstone of the Long Pond Greenbelt Preserve is Poxabogue Preserve—a small but very diverse preserve. Approximately half of this preserve is comprised of wetlands and most of the upland portion of the preserve is an old field community. Join Xylia for a guided walk through these diverse habitats and learn about some of the wonders that make up the 1,100-acre Long Pond Greenbelt Preserve.
Advance reservations are required for all events. For more information, reservations, and directions to meeting places, please call: (631) 537-9735.
Storytime Leader: Eleni Nikolopoulos, South Fork Natural History Museum (SoFo) Environmental Educator
Autumn is a magical time of year. The leaves turn colors and fall from the trees; the air gets cooler and crisper, and some of our native wildlife start to prepare for their long winter sleep (hibernation!). Join Eleni for a quiet Saturday morning story all about this beautiful time of year!
Advance reservations are required for all events. For more information, reservations, and directions to meeting places, please call: (631) 537-9735.
Program Presenter: Dr. Patricia Wright, Stony Brook University
Dr. Wright is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. She has served as the Executive Director for the Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments (ICTE) since 1992 and founded the Centre ValBio Research station in Madagascar in 2002. Dr. Wright has studied behavioral ecology of non-human primates in South America, Asia, and Madagascar. Her research interests include conservation biology, primate behavior and ecology, the evolution of tropical biodiversity, biodiversity conservation, climate change in the tropics and conservation genetics.
In 1986, while on an exploratory expedition to Madagascar, Dr. Wright and colleagues discovered a new species of lemur, the golden bamboo lemur (Hapalemur aureus). When this rain forest—and the future of this new species—were threatened by timber exploitation, Dr. Wright’s attention turned to conservation. She spearheaded an integrated conservation and development project at Ranomafana that focused on the protection and conservation of endemic flora and fauna as well as rural development, education, and promotion of health services in the park’s peripheral zone. In 1991, the Ranomafana National Park was inaugurated. Dr. Wright coordinated the building of the park infrastructure and management, ecotourism development, biodiversity research and monitoring, economic development, and health and education within the peripheral zone villages. In 1997, the park management was handed over to the Malagasy Park Service. Since 1997, Dr. Wright has continued to be actively involved in biodiversity research and exploration in Madagascar. She became a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Fellow, and in 1995 she was awarded three medals of honor from Madagascar: “Chevalier d’Ordre National,” “Officier d’Ordre National,” and the “Commandeur.” From 2000-2010, she was a member of the Committee for Research and Exploration of National Geographic Society. She is an American Association for the Advancement of Sciences (AAAS) Fellow and was elected to the American Philosophical Society, a prestigious society founded by Ben Franklin. She has received numerous honorary degrees and awards including “The Hauptman-Woodward Pioneer in Science Award” (2007), the Distinguished Primatologists award (2008), and the Indianapolis Prize for Animal Conservation, considered the “Nobel Prize” for conservation (2014).
Dr. Wright has co-authored five books including her two autobiographies: High Moon over the Amazon: my quest to understand the monkeys of the night and For the Love of Lemurs: my life in the wilds of Madagascar. She has published over 170 scientific papers. Her work has been featured in full-length documentary films such as “Me and Isaac Newton,” directed by Michael Apted, “The Golden Bamboo Lemur,” for NHK, Japan and “Island of Lemurs: Madagascar,” a 3D IMAX film narrated by Morgan Freeman and released in theaters worldwide. Wright has been featured in Anthony Bourdain’s CNN TV show “Parts Unknown” and ABC Nightline news with Alex Marquardt.
Dr. Wright has spearheaded the Centre ValBio, an award-winning “green, sustainable” research station on the edge of the rainforest with molecular and infectious disease laboratories, high speed internet and modern facilities. Centre ValBio hosts programs in Biodiversity Research, Environmental Arts, Village education, health, and reforestation.
Advance reservations are required for all events. For more information, reservations, and directions to meeting places, please call: (631) 537-9735.