Wild Ones leads effort to save trees across Town of Hempstead

The Long Island chapter of Wild Ones held its first “Walkie Talkie” event last month, in collaboration with the Stearns Park Civic Association of Freeport. While out on a walk with arborists in the Stearns Park neighborhood of Freeport, 25 participants learned about tree identification and tree care.

Last September, Wild Ones, a nonprofit organization with a mission to promote environmentally sound landscaping practices and preserve biodiversity, held its first meeting at the Merrick Golf Course. Noting an increase in the number of trees being cut down, the group is hopeful that it can work with municipalities like the Town of Hempstead to create strict tree-removal guidelines.

“We’ve had a rash of tree cutting,” Frederick Nass, the chapter’s president, said at the mid-June group walk. “We understand people want to have a swimming pool, but if you’re cutting a tree down, you need to replace it. It’s not just what you’re doing to your own property; it affects people around you and affects the community, so that’s what we’re trying to encourage people to understand.

“It’s something we all have to focus on for our neighbors and the health of the community,” Nass added.

The group’s ultimate goal is to collaborate with the town to revise its tree-removal guidelines and promote tree awareness and conservation among residents. Education is important — and the more people learn about their trees, the less likely they’ll be to cut them down, Wild Ones maintains.

“I thought it’d be a great idea to have Fred come and speak at one of our meetings,” said Jill Kaplan, a member of the Stearns Park association, which organized the event with Nass. “That one didn’t work out, but it was meant to be, because here we all are with a bigger group.”

Arborists Olivia Calandra, of the Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District, and Kevin Siragua and Gary Carbocci, of Bartlett Tree Experts, led the group, which met on the corner of Connecticut Avenue and Craig Avenue. The experts identified and discussed the trees they walked past, their importance to the ecosystem, how to care for them — and how to encourage homeowners to plant more of them.

Members of the South Shore Audubon Society also took part, including chapter President Russ Comeau. Its mission is to promote environmental education; conduct research on local bird populations, wildlife and habitat; and to preserve and restore the environment.

“Many birds are in decline because trees are the only homes birds have,” Comeau explained. “There’s a number of bird species that used to breed on Long Island, and now they just pass by because there’s no place left for them here.”

Nass said his hope was to persuade the Town of Hempstead to pass an ordinance that would make it more difficult to cut down native trees, taking into account the environmental consequences. It would be enforced, he said, through the use of permits and/or fines, and require either the planting of another native tree on the property of a homeowner who removes a tree, or paying into a fund to plant a native tree elsewhere in the township.

“It would be beneficial for all of us to get the Town of Hempstead to get on board with North Hempstead, Oyster Bay, and all other townships on Long Island that are protecting trees,” Nass said. “The Town of Hempstead is not, and they don’t seem interested in it. They think their constituents don’t want it, and we disagree, and we want to let them know that we disagree.”

An ordinance reflecting what Wild Ones wants to see implemented was proposed to the town by the chapter, and delivered to the office of Supervisor Don Clavin, earlier this year. As of now, it is still unclear what action will be taken towards the ordinance.

Nass plans to host another tree walk event in Merrick, in collaboration with the South Merrick Community Civic Association. Joe Baker, the SMCC’S former president, was also in attendance.

“Any civic associations or groups that want something developed, we’ll tailor it to what they’re looking to do,” Nass said. “We’ll go wherever people want us to give education, information and guidance.”

A link to a petition to support the proposed tree ordinance can be found on the Wild Ones of Long Island Facebook page. More information on the organization can be found on its website, WildOnes.org. Contact the Long Island chapter via email at wildoneslongisland@gmail.com.