Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Brookside Preserve, a nature sanctuary situated between Freeport and Baldwin known recently for its poor maintenance and deteriorating infrastructure, is getting a much-needed face lift from local volunteers. The Environmental Rotaract Club of Nassau County Long Island, along with Freeport High School’s Interact Club and other volunteers comprised a group of more than a dozen people who began work last week on the Brookside Preserve Beautification Project, hoping to make the park’s entrance more inviting and accessible to the community.
On July 11, about 15 volunteers in total took to the Brookside Avenue entrance of the preserve to try to clear out some of the trash and unkempt foliage. The preserve, which encompasses more than 20 acres of woodlands and waterways, is home to numerous species of plants and animals, but has been in significant decline due to vandalism, littering and aging infrastructure. It is under the jurisdiction of Nassau County, and the county administration, and County Executive Bruce Blakeman, have been criticized by many residents for the state of the sanctuary and the Nassau’s perceived lack of cooperation with local groups seeking to make improvements there.
“The Brookside Preserve has been one of the lost neglected preserves in Nassau County,” Ama Karikari, public relations director of the Environmental Rotaract Club, said in describing the extent of littering on the land. “Unfortunately, it has also become a place for illicit activities. This is a shame, because it provides an amazing immersive nature experience that could be a resource for fun, relaxation and learning.”
Karikari added that the environmental group — Rotaract is a program of the service organization Rotary International — chose to focus on the preserve because of its “immense potential” for the community. She listed Norman Levy Park and Preserve, in Merrick, Milburn Pond Park, in Baldwin, and Freeport’s Cow Meadow Park as examples of nearby green spaces that are well-kept and frequently visited — models for what she hopes the Brookside Preserve can become. The Village of Freeport and the Town of Hempstead, which maintain Cow Meadow Park and Norman Levy, respectively, have no jurisdiction over the Brookside Preserve, and no responsibility for its upkeep.
The Rotaract Club’s success in getting the beautification project approved by Nassau County, however, offers a reason for optimism that further cooperation to help restore the preserve may be possible.
“We are very grateful to Nassau County Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Museums Darcy Belyea for helping to expedite the appropriate permits allowing for ERNCLI to proceed with this project,” Christopher McBride, the club’s secretary, told the Herald.
McBride estimated that the project will cost about $5,000, with much of the potential expense being alleviated by the use of volunteer labor, as well as monetary and plant donations the Rotaract Club has received from local businesses. The sponsors include Atlantic Nursery of Freeport, Hicks Nurseries of Westbury and John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Last week’s Phase One of the project included cutting weeds, raking leaves, trimming trees and clearing the way for the entrance renovations. The second phase, which began on another day of service last Saturday, was the planting of a pollinator garden around the entrance. In the third and final phase, scheduled to begin later this month, benches, a gate and signage will be installed.
McBride said that Rotaract plans to finish all of the work this month, and members hope that once it is finished, the new entrance will be more inviting to visitors, and encourage more people to contribute to fixing up the rest of the preserve.
“We’re trying to make the entrance beautiful and attractive and welcoming, most of all, so that people look at it driving by and say, ‘Hey, they really cleaned that up. Let’s go in and check it out,’” McBride said. “That’s our goal, because it’s for the community, and we want the community to feel welcome.”
If all goes according to plan, the finishing touches for the new preserve entrance will be installed on Aug. 1, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place that day at 2 p.m.
