Resident Seeks Help in Supporting Garden City Bird Sanctuary

When lifelong Garden City resident Tony Cenzoprano is not helping patients at his physical therapy practice, he spends much of his free time volunteering at the Garden City Bird Sanctuary (GCBS).

The sanctuary, a nine-acre nature preserve located opposite Tanners Pond Road, was established in 1995 as to serve as a green space for Garden City residents, as well as Garden City wildlife, to enjoy. Due to community volunteering and fundraising efforts, the sanctuary now serves as a home for many animal species, including a variety of birds, rabbits and squirrels.

Cenzoprano developed an interest in environmental science and geology through Julian Kane, a former geology teacher at Garden City High School. 

"Julian Kane has inspired me to continue to save Long Island," he said. "The GCBS is a good place to start. Millions of gallons of street drain runoff enter it to recharge the water table. All living creatures need fresh water to survive so it is a great place to keep natural species of trees and bushes growing. This in turn provides birds with cover and feeds them with natural seeds."

Bird Seed Fundraising

Cenzoprano provides food for the various species of birds who have made the sanctuary their home. In his time spent at the sanctuary, he has seen Mourning Doves, Blue Jays, Sparrows, Northern Cardinals, Downy Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Black Capped Chickadees, Cat Birds and Red Tailed Hawk... many species that a person would never expect to find living in his own suburban backyard.

The birds require a lot of food, particularly since they are often competing with other animals in the sanctuary. Due to the weather conditions this past winter,  Cenzoprano has purchased over 100 pounds of bird food, generously with his own funds. Residents are welcome (and encouraged) to contact the Garden City Bird Sanctuary at gcbirdsanctuary@gmail.com if they would like to contribute to funding for bird food or have any fundraising ideas.

Sanctuary Clean-Up Fundraising

Cenzoprano also spends quite a bit of time cleaning up trash that filters in from the two sump drains. Along with water, bottles and debris often travel through the sewers, landing at the base of the sanctuary. This is not only unsightly, but also a hazard for the animal species living at the sanctuary.

"The pollution that we create wipes out species in the food chain and that directly affects as human beings," Cenzoprano affirmed. However, he believes that he has a solution for this problem.

Cenzoprano has innovatively created his own version of a "vortex," a machine that would catch all of the bottles and debris that have filtered into the sewers. The standard vortex typically costs about $55,000, but by using turkey wire and steel poles, Cenzoprano believes he will be able to manufacture his own version for between $500 to $1500.

The vortex will capture the street runoff garbage before it floats into the sump, saving a great deal of time and energy, as well as animals. Any residents interested in making a donation or sharing fundraising ideas should e-mail the Garden City Bird Sanctuary at gcbirdsanctuary@gmail.com.

"A simple test like this is an example of research that we need to have help us with environmental issues on Long Island," GCBS founder Rob Alvey said.

Residents can also send donations to the Garden City Bird Sanctuary, Inc., P.O. Box 7507, Garden City, NY 11530-7507.