Dozens of community members gathered in late May to take part in a cleanup of East Meadow’s bird sanctuary — a hidden natural gem nestled behind Speno Park and maintained by the Council of East Meadow Community Organizations, also known as CEMCO.
The cleanup, which was originally scheduled to coincide with Earth Day but was postponed due to weather, brought together local volunteers, CEMCO members, and elected officials with a shared goal of protecting the sanctuary’s natural beauty and the wildlife that inhabits it.
The event followed a series of upgrades to the sanctuary, including the recent installation of a new perimeter fence to help curb issues with trespassing and vandalism.
“We’ve had, over the last five years, a lot of trespassing happening,” said CEMCO President Joseph Parisi at a recent meeting. “This organization has worked closely in conjunction with Legislator Tom McKevitt’s office, and the new fence has been installed there. It was a costly expense, I would say, but it’s helping to at least cut down on some of the vandalism.”
Parisi added that the fence was also installed with safety in mind. “The concern has been, not only vandalism and trespassing, but since there’s a large body of water, we wanted to make sure that it’s not easy for younger kids to get in there and have some kind of serious accident,” he said.
Additional improvements are on the way as well. With grant support from PSEG Long Island, CEMCO is planning to install owl boxes — specially designed nesting structures — within the sanctuary to support the area’s thriving wildlife population.
“When the foliage comes in, we’re going to organize a little project to go in there and have these boxes installed,” Parisi said. “It definitely helps the wildlife, and there is a lot. You can’t believe how much is there, so we do our best to help nature out and to keep the sanctuary as clean as possible.”
CEMCO’s ongoing efforts to preserve the bird sanctuary are rooted in the organization’s mission to bring East Meadow residents together for the betterment of the community. The sanctuary, an often-overlooked patch of preserved land, has become a quiet haven for birds and wildlife — and for local residents who value its presence.
