White Oak Tree Planting at Inlet Pond County Park, Greenport NY
North Fork Audubon Society received a grant from the National Audubon Society to fund the purchase of four native white oak trees. Board members and volunteers were able to plant these trees along the park trails on December 21, 2024. The trees are 7-8’ tall with an estimated age of 10 years old; in 25 gallon pots and sourced from Long Island Natives in Eastport, NY. The trees were planted at the junction of the Black and White Trails, near where a similar white oak tree was planted last fall.
While all of the hundreds of species of oaks are considered ecological powerhouses that anchor food webs for entire ecosystems, white oak trees in particular are considered highly beneficial. As described by Doug Tallamy (see article below), white oaks host over 900 species of moth and butterfly caterpillars which feed dozens of other species of insects, birds and small mammals, that in turn serve as a food source for larger raptors and other predators. 97% of the non-seabird species of birds rely on soft, protein-rich caterpillars to feed their offspring, with some birds bringing hundreds of caterpillars a day back to the nests. Other benefits of oak trees include providing shelter for many species, sequestering carbon, purifying the air, managing the watershed, and beautifying the landscape.
For more information about white oaks, see the links below:
piping plover monitoring at Orient beach state park and southold township, New york
We have been monitoring and protecting Piping Plover populations for decades on the North Fork of Long Island. Piping Plovers are a NYS Endangered Shorebird and a federally threatened species. To learn more click here.
osprey nesting platform construction and installation
The Osprey Population continues to soar on the North Fork of Long Island. Between old nesting platforms falling into disrepair, shortages of adequate nesting sites, there is a need for more nesting platforms.
beach clean-ups - marine debris awareness
We periodically conduct beach cleanups. To volunteer, click here.
Bluebird Stewardship
NFAS President Peggy Lauber is a member of the New York Eastern Bluebird Association and works with local organizations and scout troops to build, install, and monitor Eastern Bluebird Nest Boxes. Pictured is Phoebe Faint and troop leader Cassie Kanz from Girl Scout Southold Troop 2125 assembling a Bluebird nest box.