By:Carrie James
"The issue is what we are trying to do is preserve a natural jewel, and it lends itself to a bird sanctuary, but the thing is that the kids are still coming in. We want to get the word out about what we are trying to do."
Joe Parisi
CEMCO President
The more than 20-acre site behind Speno Park isn't just a storm basin anymore. In fact, it hasn't been one for at least a year.
Many East Meadow residents, though, are unaware that the Council of East Meadow Community Organizations adopted the county storm basin and is trying to turn it into a regional bird sanctuary.
"The bird sanctuary is part of a program that the county had initiated four or five years ago," said county Legislator Norma Gonsalves (R-East Meadow). "It was adopt a storm basin or site. We knew about this site and how beautiful it was. I thought it was a fantastic idea [to turn it into a bird sanctuary]."
CEMCO and Gonsalves, however, have had to overcome many challenges during their effort to transform the undeveloped site into a haven for birds such as the pilgrim geese seen near the site's lake on a recent Friday. Right now, the organization faces problems with trespassing, vandalism and destruction of the natural habitat, said Joe Parisi, CEMCO president.
Initially, Parisi and Gonsalves said, the main problem was that people were cutting the county's fence to get into the site and drive their all-terrain vehicles, doing circles around the centrally located lake and doughnuts in the open spaces.
The ATV drivers not only scare away wildlife, but also damage shrubbery and other natural resources, Gonsalves said. Beyond that, they are trespassing on and destroying county property.
"They keep damaging the fence," she said, referring to several holes in the fence line around the site. The county came out twice during the week of April 9 to repair fence damage. "I've been working with the Nassau County Police POP [Problem Oriented Policing] unit and letting them know about our problem. The POP police are going to go door to door. I also have a civic patrol that is patrolling the area."
Problems go beyond trespassing and people driving ATVs throughout the bird sanctuary, however. Vandalism and dumping also occur regularly, Parisi said.
Last year, an East Meadow Boy Scout troop had approached Parisi about doing a community-service project. He immediately thought to have them help clean up part of the sanctuary that was covered with garbage and graffiti.
While much of the garbage was removed and the graffiti painted over, Parisi said some trash has made its way back to the lake, and graffiti has reappeared on the storm drains.
Along Amhurst Street, where it dead-ends into the bird sanctuary, the county has posted a no dumping sign, but as Parisi pointed out during a site tour, area residents dump anyway. A few dozen beer cans and boxes littered the area.
"We've been working with trying to clean it up. We are cleaning it up and trying to secure it also," he said. "The issue is what we are trying to do is preserve a natural jewel, and it lends itself to a bird sanctuary, but the thing is that the kids are still coming in. We want to get the word out about what we are trying to do."
It's not just young people who are damaging the bird sanctuary, Gonsalves and Parisi discovered recently. Environmentalist Richard Schary of North Bellmore pointed out that some of the trees lining the lake had been cut down recently, possibly so that homeowners could have a better view of the lake.
Gonsalves and Parisi have spent the past few weeks trying to devise solutions to problems at the sanctuary.
"I think the thing we have to do is make everyone understand what we are doing here," Parisi said. "It's a reeducating. It's not just a storm basin. It's not an old sand mine anymore. If we get people excited about it, then they are going to keep their eyes and ears open."
Schary suggested opening the park to a limited group of users, people who could patrol the park regularly. People will see it as a park then and help keep away the vandals. The park is now kept locked, and only Parisi, Gonsalves and county workers can enter.
Gonsalves agreed it would benefit the bird sanctuary to set up an organization, known as Friends of the CEMCO Bird Sanctuary, a group of concerned citizens who will work to protect the area.
CEMCO and Gonsalves also have met with the county Public Works Department to get more signs posted warning against trespassing and dumping, as well as a sign informing people that trespassing vehicles can be impounded.
With a comprehensive education effort, including a door-to-door campaign to inform area residents about the bird sanctuary, Parisi and Gonsalves hope things will take a turn for the better at the sanctuary.
"It means a lot to us," Gonsalves said. "We want to do a good thing, but unless we have the cooperation from the neighbors, that good thing turns into a major problem."
