Dedication Ceremony at the Bird Sanctuary Sept 20

The public is invited to attend a dedication ceremony of trees and a new trail sign at the Tanners Pond Center’s Garden City Bird Sanctuary and Arboretum on Saturday September 20. The ceremony starts at 2PM. Enjoy the good autumn weather and a drink and snack with friends as we honor and remember special people and loved ones. The entrance gate is opposite 181 Tanners Pond Road, Garden City.
Friends of Allison Maloney have donated funds in her memory, and a new trail section, Allison’s Way, has been added along the north side of the nature preserve. Adjacent to the sign are two new trees, a Ginkgo honoring Suzie Alvey as Garden City’s Village Historian, and a Dawn Redwood honoring Daniel McElroy, the 2014 Garden City Bird Sanctuary’s Environmental Stewardship award winner.
A holly tree, donated by Paul Ingrisano in memory of his father, Pasqual Ingrisano, was planted next to a chimney swift tower built by Joseph Monaco as part of his Eagle project. The other holly was donated by the Bird Sanctuary to honor Joseph’s project. A small garden has been added on one side with a crepe myrtle donated by Lynn McCabe as a gift to honor Michael and Christine Levchuk on their 25th Anniversary. Next to it is a crepe myrtle honoring a separate Eagle project by Joseph LoRe. A third Boy Scout, Thomas Ferris was honored with a Black Spruce tree for the amphibian pond he constructed.
It was a very busy and successful season at the sanctuary with a lot of progress in the development of the site. A Colorado Blue Spruce was planted in honor of Alexis Alvey, a certified arborist currently pursuing a landscape architecture degree at Florida International University. Rob Alvey, GCBS founder and president emeritus, also sponsored a European Larch tree to honor Philip Flax, an EPA co-worker, who recently retired after over 30 years with EPA.
The Garden City Bird Sanctuary was initially started in 1995 through a local volunteer effort. It has grown to become a thriving community nature preserve and is open to the public. The property is a Nassau County Stormwater Storage Basin and still provides its needed function - to help streets and roads drain and prevent flooding. The 9 acre site, now known as the Tanners Pond Environmental Center, includes the Garden City Bird Sanctuary and the Alvey Arboretum so that ecological and environmental research can be conducted regarding the wildlife and vegetation at the area.
Each year a dedication service is held to honor the generous donation of trees, shrubs, benches and other items given to honor loved ones and friends. Almost 300 families are active contributing members with the City Bird Sanctuary and over 500 volunteers have provided community service in 2014. Membership fees help provide the needed funds for insurance, watering, and continued improvements. Volunteer service helps make it happen.
To learn more about the Tanners Pond Environmental Center, please visit:
http://www.gcbirdsanctuary.org or check Facebook at ‘Garden City Bird Sanctuary”