By Richard Marino
Did you know that the horseshoe crab is not a crab, and that it is closely related to the spider? Although it looks menacing it is harmless. It does not sting, and the long pointed tail, contrary to what many believe, is not used for stabbing. The tail is mostly used to turn the horseshoe crab right side up when it finds itself on its back.
These are but a few of the many nature facts discovered at Oceanside's Marine Nature Study Area: a pristine 52-acre salt marsh containing one mile of trails and boardwalks. Run by the Town of Hempstead under the Department of Conservation and Waterways, its main purpose is to help residents better understand the local natural environment.
The two buildings just inside the entrance display aquariums and other exhibits containing the diverse flora and fauna native to Long Island's South Shore. Although roaming among the exhibits in the buildings is a learning experience in itself, the tour through the marshes puts our Long Island wildlife in clearer perspective.
If you show up at 9:30 A.M. on any Saturday you will find Bill Overton, the facility supervisor, and his assistant Michael Farina, ready to take you for a one-hour tour.
Along the trails, strategically placed stations reveal different features of the marsh. Visitors will also find visual aid boards sprinkled around the complex. Learn how the rich plant and marine life of the salt marshes nourish the larger fish that eventually wind up on the dinner table.
Mr. Overton-armed with binoculars, camera, and a huge telephoto lens about the size of a stovepipe-leads the tour. He talks almost non-stop, pausing only for questions. His mobile lecture is filled with enthusiasm and knowledge about the wetland environment.
It is an all-age tour, and a bird watcher's dream. Twenty-five different species of birds nest in this sanctuary, and close to 200 more visit the site throughout the seasons. On this particular day twenty different species were spotted during the one-hour tour.
Most memorable were a dozen or so great egrets and snowy egrets perching and preening, and an osprey (fish hawk) who was scanning the waters from a tree, looking for its next meal.
School field trips, arranged by appointment, are a special treat when the tide is low. That's when Overton gets out his 30-foot net and the students get a chance to go seining for marine life. A number of teachers have taken fish back to their classrooms and set up aquariums.
Drainage ditches have been dug to prevent the formation of any temporary puddles, thereby removing breeding areas for mosquitoes. Some visitors wore short pants and short sleeve shirts, including Overton, but nobody felt a bite.
The address is 500 Slice Drive, Oceanside. You can get to the site from Waukena Avenue. Turn onto Park Avenue and just follow the signs to the Sanctuary. Admission and tours are free. No appointment is necessary for the 9:30 A.M. Saturday tour. Call ahead for special group tours, (516) 766-1580. The site is open year round from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M., Tuesday through Saturday except for major holidays.
