This journal started out as a small personal gift to my family, especially my grandchildren, and to several naturalist friends. We have shared a love for the natural beauties of Long Island and its plant and animal life, and it was my hope that the journal might help remind us all of the wonders of the area, some of which are becoming increasingly rare under the impact of an evergrowing human population. I've organized the material for this book by the months of the calendar year to emphasize that the natural world has much to offer the observer in all seasons - there is as much to see on a chilly winter's day as on a sparkling spring morning.
Long Island is so much more than shopping malls, concrete highways, and crowded towns and beaches.
There are still cool woodlands, quiet rivers, salt marshes, overgrown meadows, and rolling sand dunes to be enjoyed by those who have eyes to seek and the desire to learn about the other Long Island, the one that existed long before the first settelers broke ground. As a resident of the Hamlet of Brookhaven since the end of World War II, I have seen many changes on Long Island. But much is unchanged, and a growing number of dedicated, selfless people are striving to save what remains so that not only we, but also our children, grandchildren, and generations yet unborn, can continue to enjoy the natural treasures of Long Island. Environmental Defense is now one of the most successful and prestigious of all environmental organizations, its activities ranging worldwide. If this small book can bring to residents of and newcomers to Long Island an increased awareness of the natural world we share, I will consider it to have succeeded beyond my greatest expectations.