I have decided to add a new feature to this blog that may actually prompt me to post more often. :) My husband and I like to go for nature walks with the kids. We usually go on a weekly basis, but at least twice a month. We thought that it might be interesting to chronicle each of the parks that we go to; there are so many on Long Island and we like to explore ones that we haven't been to before. Maybe there will even be someone else who reads this who lives nearby and is inspired to visit one of these parks.
As a graduate student, I was often frustrated to hear others complaining about the lack of nature on Long Island; although it is the case that there is quite a bit of development here, there are also many beautiful parks and reserves that are worth the time.
So here goes; if nobody else finds this interesting, at least it will be a nice way for our family to go back and check out all the places we have visited so far!
A book that we have found very useful is Lee McAllister's Hiking Long Island: a Comprehensive Guide to Parks and Trails. I would definitely encourage anyone living in this area to purchase this if they have any interest in exploring nature on Long Island.
Morton National Wildlife Refuge
Morton National Wildlife Refuge is located in Southampton, New York (on the South Fork). It is a reserve run by the federal government. Part of the reserve consists of Jessup Neck, which is a peninsula that stretches into Noyack Bay.
We went here on October 20th, 2007. One of the charming features of this park is that you can feed birds right out of your hands. The views from the beach area are breathtaking. Most of the peninsula is closed from April to August because it serves as a breeding area for two endangered bird species (the piping plover and the least tern). Although it was open when we went, we didn't make it very far down the beach because of the stroller. However, the wooded area that we went through to get to the beach was very scenic as well.
Below are some pictures from our trip, as well as a map showing the park's location.
