Community Corner

History of Hempstead Plains Presented at Seaford Historical Society Meeting

NCC Biology Professor Emeritus Betsy Gulotta explains efforts to preserve what is left of central Nassau County prairies.

Prior to the massive development of central Nassau County the area encompassed over 40,000 acres of prairies known as the Hempstead Plains and today only a tiny portion of this land remains. The past, present and future of the Hempstead Plains was presented at the Sept.9 Seaford Historical Society meeting by Betsy Gulotta, Professor Emeritus of Biology at Nassau Community College (NCC).

After retiring from teaching at NCC in 2001 Gulotta founded the Friends of Hempstead Plains, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserve, restore and manage what is left of these prairies. Gulotta, the wife of former Nassau County Executive Tom Gulotta, explained to the large crowd that attended the Sept. 9 meeting in the Seaford Historical Museum that of the large area that encompassed the Hempstead Plains from the Queens-Nassau County border all the way into Western Suffolk County, only 60 acres remains. The two locations of the Hempstead Plains that have been preserved are 19 acres on the NCC campus in East Garden City and on the Francis T. Purcell Preserve in Uniondale.

 "Prairies are not very common on Long Island and even on the east coast," said Gulotta of the importance of preserving what is left of the Hempstead Plains. "Prairies are probably the most vulnerable habitat in the world today."

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Gulotta explained that a large part of the Hempstead Plains was located in what is now the Village of Garden City. Garden City was formed after entrepreneur Alexander Stewart purchased a large chunk of the Hempstead Plains in that area. Another major area of the Hempstead Plains was where Mitchel Air Force Base was established in 1918, which after closing in 1961 became home to Hofstra University's North campus and NCC. 

Gulotta said that, thanks to the passage of the 2006 Nassau County Environmental Bond Act, a Hempstead Plains Education Center is in the works. The facility, to be built where the 19 acres of Hempstead Plains are located on the NCC campus, will include a visitor's center and classrooms. The center will also aim to educate people about the unique plants and animals that occupy the Hempstead Plains such as the red-tailed hawk, praying mantis, monarch caterpillar and the birdfoot violet.

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"It is going to blend right in with the preserve," said Gulotta of the planned Hempstead Plains Visitors Center, which she hopes will be completed sometime in 2011.

The Friends of Hempstead Plains and the East Meadow Public Library (EMPL) are also collaborating with Long Island Nature Collaborative for Kids in an effort to design complimentary children's nature and teaching gardens. Gulotta said that since East Meadow was once largely made up of the Hempstead Plains the library thought it was an important project to get involved in. The Friends of Hempstead Plains and EMPL have applied for a grant with the Pepsi Refresh Project that people can vote on one at this website.

Gulotta encouraged members of the audience to participate in walks her organization will be holding in the Hempstead Plains on the NCC campus this fall during Fridays at 3:30 p.m. For further information on the walks call 516-572-7570 or e-mail info@friendsofhp.org.


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