Friends of Long Pond Greenbelt Celebrate 25 Years of Advocacy

Twenty-five years ago, a group of concerned neighbors banded together to oppose a development plan that would have turned the expansive field behind what is now the South Fork Natural History Museum into a condo complex and golf course. They dubbed their small, grassroots effort “Save Black Pond,” referring to the pond located on the property.

The group had all the trappings of an underdog, but it was successful. Not only did the development plans go up in smoke, but the group’s efforts led Southampton Town and Suffolk County to preserve the entire 72-acre property.

When the preservation was complete, the group decided it wanted to donate some of the funds it had raised in its development fight to Southampton Town’s open space program. Members of the Town Board at that time had another idea, suggesting the residents form a more permanent community environmental group.

That’s how Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt was formed.

On Saturday, the group commemorated a quarter century of advocacy and stewardship with an anniversary celebration on the grounds of the South Fork Natural History Museum, located on the Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike.

For 25 years, the volunteer organization has been dedicated to protecting and advocating for the Long Pond Greenbelt, a unique ecosystem that encompasses a wide swath of territory that includes coastal plain ponds, freshwater swamps, wetlands, and woodlands from the area of Otter Pond in Sag Harbor to Sagaponack Pond in Sagaponack. The group puts together special events and does educational outreach as well, all in service of raising awareness that the Long Pond Greenbelt needs and deserves protection.

Dai Dayton is the president of the organization and one of the original founding members. She said awareness of the greenbelt and its importance was raised significantly during the pandemic, especially during the early stages, when many people were housebound and looking for ways to get outside and get fresh air. Using the trails and exploring other areas that are part of the greenbelt made people aware of how special it is, she said, and subsequently many of them became engaged in the effort to protect the area.

“More people know now how special it is, and they’re enjoying it,” Dayton said.

She pointed out that that kind of support is key, especially because the area is not as well protected as it should be. There are still efforts from outside groups that want to encroach on the area with various development projects. Two weeks ago, Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt gave a petition with more than 3,000 signatures to the Long Island Power Authority, opposing the power authority’s plans to put transmission lines through part of the greenbelt.

Having that support has been great to see, and Dayton said the group has even been encouraged by interest from younger generations of nature-lovers.

“We had one young child, who was maybe 4 years old, who did a fundraiser on the internet and raised $3,700 for Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt, early in the pandemic,” Dayton said. “His parents had taken him there, and he fell in love with the ponds and was interested in the whole area and wanted to help.”

The group uses special events, like full moon hikes and other outdoor, nature-based programs, to introduce new people to the greenbelt and share with them everything that makes it special, and worthy of preserving and protecting.

“The biggest thing we’d like people to understand is that it’s a one-of-a-kind thing,” Dayton said. “And it’s really not as protected as it should be. The town, county and The Nature Conservancy have preserved about 800 acres, but it’s not protected as strongly as we feel it should be.”

Those conservation efforts have been successful. Dayton pointed to the return of otters and the fact that bald eagles are currently nesting in the area as signs of its health.

The greenbelt’s unique expanse of ponds, wetlands, woods and fields is an ideal habitat for many animals and wildlife, including rare and threatened species. And while large stretches of the nearly 2,000 acres that comprise the greenbelt have been preserved, Dayton and the rest of the “friends” are not satisfied.

“It’s an ecosystem that’s working because so much of it has been protected,” she said. “And we need to do more of that.”