Long Island Conservation Alliance Partners With Project MOST and Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt

The Long Island Conservation Alliance (LIC) continued its growing focus on youth environmental education with a hike at Vineyard Field in Bridgehampton on Friday, August 7, in collaboration with Project MOST, a summer learning program in East Hampton, and Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt. Led by Executive Director Devon Giordano, as well as Dai Dayton of the Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt, the hike brought together students in grades 4-8 for a hands-on opportunity to explore Long Island’s natural landscape and learn about the importance of native plants, local pollinators and healthy ecosystems.

“Getting young people outside and connected to the natural world is one of the most important ways we can build the next generation of environmental stewards,” said Giordano. “When students have the opportunity to see native plants and pollinators up close and understand the role they play in our ecosystem, conservation becomes something they can experience and take part in, rather than just something they learn about. We want to give young people the knowledge and appreciation they need to become active stewards of Long Island’s environment.”

Throughout the hike, Giordano and Dayton introduced students to native plant species and local pollinators, helping them better understand the connections between plants, insects, and the broader environment. Students had the opportunity to experience Long Island’s natural beauty firsthand while learning how native species support biodiversity and contribute to the health and resilience of local habitats.

Through programs and activities like the Vineyard Field hike, LIC aims to give young people a deeper understanding of the ecosystems in their own communities and the tools to become stewards of the environment. By introducing students to native plants, pollinators, and conservation at an early age, the organization hopes to foster a lasting appreciation for Long Island’s natural resources and inspire the next generation to take an active role in protecting them.

The hike also reflects LIC’s broader goal of making conservation accessible and engaging for Long Island’s youth. By combining hands-on outdoor experiences with environmental education, the organization is helping students understand not only why native plants and pollinators are crucial to the region’s ecosystem, but also how they can make a difference in their own communities.

About Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt

Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt is dedicated to the preservation, stewardship, and public appreciation of the unique expanse of coastal plain ponds and pond shores, freshwater swamps, wetlands, and woodlands in the Town of Southampton known as the Long Pond Greenbelt, which stretches from Ligonee Creek in Sag Harbor to Sagg Pond in Sagaponack.

The New York Heritage Program identifies many of the Greenbelt’s ponds, fauna, and flora as rare within New York State and worldwide.

About the Long Island Conservation Alliance

The Long Island Conservation Alliance is a science‑driven, community‑rooted 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring ecological function across Long Island’s most vulnerable landscapes. As one of the most densely populated islands on the planet, Long Island faces unique ecological pressures, making restoration and resilience work especially urgent.

The Long Island Conservation Alliance rebuilds native ecosystems, strengthens biodiversity, and improves the resilience of natural systems that support the health and wellbeing of local communities. In addition to its restoration work, the Alliance leads three signature youth programs—Tykes That Hike, Sprout Squad, and the Youth Leadership Ambassadors—which empower children and teens to develop ecological literacy, emotional resilience, and a lifelong connection to nature. Through habitat restoration, invasive species removal, native plantings, youth engagement, and long‑term ecological monitoring, the Alliance advances measurable, science‑based conservation outcomes across the region.

Also, as an official land trust, the Long Island Conservation Alliance works with communities and nonprofit organizations to protect, restore and steward land across Long Island, Brooklyn and Queens.

For more information, visit longislandconservationalliance.org.