The vibes were as high as they were positively jolly when Legislator Leslie Kennedy dropped by the Long Island Greenbelt Trail Conference’s annual holiday party. Blydenburgh Historic District hosted the open-to-the-public occasion.
While accessible hiking trails have dwindled in post-August superstorm times, the Greenbelt Trail Conference still represents an untouchable greenspace of which Long Island is incredibly proud. The 1978-established trail encompasses over 200 miles of hiking paths untethered by even the harshest of weathers.
Writes Leslie Kennedy’s office, “the twelfth legislative district is fortunate to be home to Blydenburgh County Park,” which features 4 miles of the mentioned Greenbelt-certified paths.
Other notable trails maintained by this conference include: The Nassau-Suffolk Trail (Cold Spring Harbor to Massapequa); The Long Island Seashore Trail (Smith’s Point to Barrier Islands); The Pine Barrens Trail (Rocky Point to the Hampton Bays; and the fittingly entitled Long Island Greenbelt Trail (Hecksher Park to the Nissequogue River in Smithtown).
Since its inception in 1978, the Long Island Greenbelt Trail Conference has given over 7,000 guide hikes; it currently features over 200 guided hikes a year—all of which are free of charge, and funded primarily through membership packages and donations.
The Long Island Greenbelt Trail Conference non-profit collective’s current executing board consists of: David Reisfield (president), Tammy Straus (treasurer), Nancy Manfredonia (founding president), Carol Murphy, Tom Isles (also pictured above, right of Leg. Kennedy), and Lisa Schary.
“The Long Island Greenbelt Trail Conference is important to me because we’re able to help preserve and facilitate the use of open space on Long Island, while making sure it’s not abused,” said David Reisfield.
Notable volunteers include: Chiara Nuzzo, Office and Outreach Coordinator; and Allen Drost, who gives tours on the historical significant properties.
In keeping with the tradition put forth by quite the noble organization, both Legislator Kennedy’s office and we at The South Shore Press encourage members of the community to remember to do their part in bettering their environment and surroundings—not just in holiday reflection, or as a New Year’s Resolution, but as a necessity bigger than any one’s self.
It’s one thing to treat your family like friends from the old neighborhood. But it’s another thing entirely to make your neighborhoods feel anew once again by treating them as courteously as you would your family.
Interested in paying it forward through the conference? Visit www.ligreenbelt.org to learn more information. Getting involved with their efforts today means helping pave the way for a more beautiful tomorrow.