Widely acknowledged as one of New York State's most environmentally significant areas, the Long Pond Greenbelt encompasses a magnificent six-mile long expanse of interconnected ponds woods, and wetlands in the Town of Southampton, New York, on the South Fork of Long Island's East End. Spectacular for its wealth of rare plants, animals, and ecological communities, the Greenbelt is widely recognized as one of the most ecologically significant areas in all of New York.
A splendid feature of the Greenbelt is its magnificent collection of thirteen coastal plain pond and pondshore communities, affectionately known as the Greenbelt's "string of pearls." Both statewide and globally, these coastal plain pond environments are considered very rare and vulnerable to extinction. They also harbor one of the highest concentrations of rare plants and animals in New York State. (Read more about the Greenbelt here.)

May Events

Fri, May 4 - Full Flower Moon Hike. 8PM - 9PM. Sponsored by FLPG. Meet at the South Fork Natural History Society (SoFo) Museum parking lot, 377 Bridgehampton Turnpike 200 yards north of the RR tracks. Catch this month's full moon on a lovely one-hour stroll. Refreshments afterwards. Dai Dayton, 631-745-0689.

Sat., May 5 - Peconic Family Fun Day. 10AM - NOON. Sponsored by the Children's Museum of the East End, 376 Bridgehampton/Sag Harbor Turnpike, Bridgehampton. This is a free event for families with children ages 5 - 10. Featuring live music by the Bridgehampton School Marimba Orchestra, educational games, bird-box building, fish prints, guided hikes, arts & crafts stations, a seed planting station, and more. Children will have a blast while they learn about local bays and groundwater, agriculture, sustainability, and environmental stewardship!

Sat., May 5 - Animal Tracks with Callie Velmachos. 10AM. Sponsored by the Town of Southampton Long Pond Greenbelt Nature Center Callie, a Level III certified tracker in the Cybertracker International tracking evaluation system, will lead a short, slow walk from Mashashamuet Park into the edge of the Greenbelt to discuss the basics of reading track and sign. This particular outing will focus on species identification, and identifying gait patterns. Almost every major species can be found in this section of the Greenbelt, and it is a great opportunity to find long series of tracks intact. We will not (most likely) go off trail. Children 9 and older are welcome with an adult, but keep in mind, this particular walk could be very slow and focused on details. Meet at the Long Pond Greenbelt trail map kiosk on the east side of Sag Harbor Turnpike (adjacent to Mashashamuet Park). Please dress appropriately and take precautions against ticks. For further information or questions contact: Laura Smith, 631-287-5720 or lsmith@southamptontownny.gov.

Mon., May 14 - 6PM. Next FLPG Monthly Meeting - All Are Welcome! At the Long Pond Greenbelt Nature Center, 1061 Bridgehampton/Sag Harbor Tpk.

Sat., May 19 - Old Farm Road Clean-Up. 8AM. Sagaponack. Help clean up the roadside along FLPG's adopted road. Meet at Poxabogue Park. Bring gloves, bags provided. Jean Dodds, 631-599-2391.

Sat., May 19 - Vineyard Field: A Vibrant, Grassland Ecosystem. 10AM. Bridgehampton. Cosponsored by FLPG & SoFo. In 2005, FLPG began a grasslands restoration project at Vineyard Field, a 39-acre property in the Greenbelt preserved by Southampton Town. The field sits behind the SoFo Museum. In these past seven years, great strides have been made to maintain, and in some cases restore, the health of this rare old-field ecosystem that is comprised of ponds, wetlands, wildflowers, and native grasslands. Restoration of the grasslands benefits rare and endangered native plants, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, as well as butterflies, bees, dragonflies, damselflies, and many species of meadow-loving birds. On this walk in Vineyard Field, join naturalist Jim Ash (SoFo & FLPG Board Member) as you explore this significant ecosystem and learn about its inhabitants. This is the first in a series of three walks in Vineyard Field with Jim. The others will take place in the summer and the fall, with the objective of showing the seasonal changes that occur. To make a reservation for this program, please call the museum at 631-537-9735.

Sun., May 27 - Long Pond Greenbelt Perambulation. 8AM-10AM. Sponsored by STPS. Meet at the South Fork Natural History Society (SOFO) Museum parking lot, 377 Bridgehampton Turnpike 200 yards north of the RR tracks. Fast paced 5-mile hike thru grasslands & oak forest with views of Crooked Pond & Deer Drink. Dai Dayton, 631-745-0689.

Nancy and Ronald Vanderkamp to host FLPG's 15th anniversary party

FLPG is so very pleased to announce that long-time FLPG supporters Nancy and Ron Vanderkamp have graciously offered their lovely home on Long Pond as the site for FLPG's 15th anniversary party in September. Long Pond, of course, is this organization's namesake and the namesake, more importantly, of the glorious nature preserve that carries its name. And we are thrilled to have such a generous offer from the Vanderkamps and to look forward to a celebratory gathering on Long Pond's shores. We're also proud to announce that our guest of honor for the evening will be Fred W. Thiele, Jr., New York State Assemblyman and one of the Long Pond Greenbelt's most ardent supporters. Plans are underway for an early evening soiree with good food, good company, and good cheer. Stay tuned. Details and invitations to follow. But mark your calendars now - Saturday, September 28!

For more information call:
Dai Dayton, President (631 745 0689)
or Sandra Ferguson, Vice President (631 537 3752)

Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt is dedicated to the preservation, stewardship, and public appreciation of the unique expanse of coastal plain ponds, 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 Sagaponack Pond in Sagaponack.

Learn about ticks and Lyme disease

Join the FLPG Email List for news and schedule updates. Just click here!

Check out our new slide show here.

Read Botanist Stuart Lowrie's musings on the flora of the Greenbelt here.

View the Southampton Town interactive trails map here.