Town of Hempstead celebrates Earth Day

Forty fifth-graders from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School in Bellmore got their hands dirty on Friday with help from Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray, and in the process, they aided the Earth.

The children came to the town’s Norman J. Levy Park and Preserve in Merrick to plant six pear trees in honor of Earth Day, which was celebrated around the world on Sunday.

After the tree-planting ceremony, the children toured the 52-acre preserve, which is a former landfill, and then had an opportunity to pet the Nigerian dwarf goats that live at the park and eat the weeds that would otherwise overrun whole sections of the sanctuary.

“There is no better place to celebrate Earth Day in Hempstead Town than Norman J. Levy Park and Preserve,” said Murray, who was joined by Councilwoman Angie Cullin. “The park’s transformation from a landfill –– an ecological liability –– into a true environmental masterpiece symbolizes what this day is all about.”