Fifth Annual SBEC Dinner!

Saturday May 24, 2008

Cash bar at 6:30 p.m. Dinner at 7:30 p.m.

Dinner Speaker:

Dr Carl Safina, oceanographer, author, conservationist

“Traveling with Sea Turtles around

Long Island and the World”

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at Stony Brook

All are welcome!

For reservations contact Malcolm Bowman at 631-751-1381!

Sunken Meadow State Park in the search of Old Growth Trees with Daniel Karpen Saturday, June 8th: 1:30pm

 Following on our very successful hike a couple of weekends ago in Blydenburgh County Park , searching for and identifying 700 year-old black tupelo trees, our trusty naturalist and guide Daniel Karpen has organized a second hike. This time to an unusual maritime forest in Sunken Meadow State Park.

Sunken Meadow State Park is on the North Shore of Long Island located in the community of Kings Park .

 Behind the boardwalk is a very unusual maritime forest of Blackjack Oak, Post Oak , Eastern Red Cedar and Beach Plums.  Blackjack Oak is found in fewer than 30 locations in New York State and there are probably less than l,000 trees existing in the entire state.  It is extremely common in Texas and Oklahoma.  It is a tree that will tolerate extremely dry sites.  Post Oak is an uncommon oak on Long Island , usually found along the shores both on the North Shore and South Shore . It can reach ages of 200 years on  Long Island .

 We will meet at the Beach House in the front of the parking lots inside the park at 1:30 pm on Saturday 8 June. Bring your camera and if you have them, binoculars. There will be many interesting shore birds to look at.

 The walk will proceed in all weathers, except pouring rain. This is an easy walk suitable for all ages. There is a park entrance fee of $8 per vehicle, irregardless of the occupancy, so you might wish to car pool.

 To get to Sunken Meadow State Park, take the Sagtakos Parkway north to the end of the road. The Parkway terminates at the entrance booth.