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January 13, 2011 - Enjoying a Florida park and a Christmas boat parade32 1 JANUARY 13, 2011 1 SUFFOLKTIMES.COM The Friends Library En*oying a Florida ark and Riverhead Free Library Present J A FREE concert SUNDAY, JANUARY 23, 2011 2:00 P.M. • ab X11 11111 Concertmaster Curtis Symphony Orchestra Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia Elizabeth Fayette is a native of Wading River. Works by Robert Schumann, Beethoven and Brahms Concerts are held in the Elizabeth Fox Overton Meeting Room, Downstairs at the Riverhead Free Library, 330 Court St., Riverhead. CHILDREN UNDER 10 YEARS OLD MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADUL:C a Christmas boat parade Early one morning we took a walk at the Joan M. Durante Park, not too far from where we live. It is a com- munity park and was started much like our Silversmith's Corner park in Southold, where George Wells, a con- cerned member of the community, purchased the land and gave it to the town to be used as a community park. Here in Florida, the town took over the property in the 1980s and a private donor, James Durante, offered the town funds to develop a park and re- store the property in honor of his late wife. It is a 32 -acre site on Sarasota Bay that had previously been developed with cabins. The cabins were demol- ished and the exotic vegetation that had invaded the area, such as Austra- lian pine and Brazilian peppers, was destroyed. The idea of this park was to re- store and enhance one of the few remaining vacant island properties to a viable wetland and coastal ham- mock forest. Once the vegetation was cleared, the wetland area was created and the coastal hammock forest area was restored. Mangroves were planted in the wetland area and live oak, red cedar, sea grape, gumbo limbo, wax myrtle and others were planted in the upland areas to restore the coastal hammock ( "shady place ") forest. Sand from digging out the wet- land areas was used to form dunes in the area. This idea of restoring a place that was destined for a housing devel- opment reminds me of a situation on the North Fork where Meadow Beach on Nassau Point in Cutchogue Harbor was laid out in 50 -foot lots many years ago and almost became a reality until The Nature Conservancy stepped in. After talking with the owners of the Meadow Beach properties and finding they would give up their ownership, the area became a natural preserve. Since that time, more property has been added to it. Today the resident ospreys, as well as all the other native species of birds and plants and animals that once lived there, are able to continue to enjoy their isolation on the Meadow Beach wetland preserve, and the people in the community can continue to walk the beach area. Florida's Joan Durante Park is a wetland restoration project. It shows what can be done with donations of money and property and the help of volunteers to bring together an area now well used by the community. A wetland and coastal hammock forest BARBARA SfOUTENSURGH PHOTOS 'Have my eyes deceived me or was that a church that just went floating by ?' Yes. That's right. It's Floh s'Chapel on the Bay, which holds Sunday services and an be rented for weddings. Left. This showy white swamp lily bloomed just outside our window Right: Vultures are large, soaring black birds. The turkey vulture (pictured) is larger than the black vulture and is recognized by its red head. provides access to a diverse mix of plants, animals and ecosystems typi- cal of coastal southwest Florida. It is an area we will visit often, particularly the botanical garden area, with so many of the local flowers and trees. Back across the bridge, north to our island, we passed by a place we had visited before, the Coquina Bay Walk at Leffis Key. On our visits there we have seen numbers of vultures enjoying the area. Today as we slowly drove past the entrance, we saw vultures in the tops of the trees. As we opened the car window and got out the camera, one of them started to take off. We could see its six-foot wingspan as it slowly rose on the warming thermals. During the Christmas holidays we strung some cranberries and popcorn and put the extra popcorn out in the bird feeder. We soon found out that the red- bellied woodpeckers liked the popcorn as well as they had enjoyed peanuts with shells we had put out previously. The popcorn was easier to carry away than the peanuts, which the birds had to stab in order to get hold of them to carry up to their holes in the telephone poles, where they store them. Early in the moming sometimes, before we are ready to rise, we can hear the birds calling, letting us know the feeder needs filling. They are colorful, noisy, but fun to watch, so we'll keep them supplied with sunflower seeds, popcorn or even suet, which they will devour when there is nothing else available. Looking out our windows here in Florida we have been enjoying the blossoms of the swamp lily. With up to a dozen blossoms when all have opened, this large plant with its showy white or purple flowers is often used as a planting around the commu- nities. We saw many of these large plants when we were visiting the loan Durante Park. While we get some cold weather here, we don't get snow like the North Fork has this winter, but one thing we did enjoy during the holidays was the Christmas Boat Parade, which passed through the Inland Waterway in front of us as the bridge opened to let the tall sail- boats and fishing boats, all beauti- fully decorated, through. The last to go through, all lit up, was the Wedding Boat. It was a beauti- ful sight. It is available to anyone who would like to hire it for a wedding with church service (seating for 100) and all. In fact we just saw an advertisement that there will be free church services on the boat on Sundays. Their advertise - mentreads,'America's ONLY Floating Chapel on the Bay" and "WOW," Wor- ship on the Water. RIVERHEADNEWSREVIEW.COM I JANUARY 13, 2011 n ® I a Florida park and a Christmas boat parade harry one morning we toox a waix at the Joan M. Durante Park, not too far " from where we live. It is a community park and was started much like our Silversmith's Corner park in Southold, where George Wells, a concerned member of the community, purchased + the land and gave it to the town to be used as a community park. Here in Florida, the town took over the property in the 1980s and a private donor, James Durante, offered the town funds to develop a park and restore the °el property in honor of his late wife. It is FOCUS ON NATURE BARBARA STOUTENBURGH PHOTOS PAUL STOUTENBURGH KF ave my eyes deceived me or was that a church that just went floating by ?' Yes. That's right. It's or idas `Chapel on the Bay, which holds Sunday services and can be rented for weddings. a 32 -acre site on Sarasota Bay that had This idea o restoring a place that previously been developed with cab- was destined for a housing develop - ins. The cabins were demolished and ment reminds me of a situation on the exotic vegetation that.had invaded the North Fork where Meadow Beach the area, such as Australian pine and on Nassau Point in Cutchogue Harbor Brazilian peppers, was destroyed. was laid out in 50 -foot lots many years The idea of this park was to restore ago and almost became a reality until and enhance one of the few remain- The Nature Conservancy stepped in. ing vacant island properties to a viable After talking with the owners of the wetland and coastal hammock for- Meadow Beach properties and finding est. Once the vegetation was cleared, they would give up their ownership, the wetland area was created and the the area became a natural preserve. coastal hammock forest area was re- Since that time, more property has stored. Mangroves were planted in the been added to it. Today the resident wetland area and live oak, red cedar, ospreys, as well as all the other native sea grape, gumbo limbo, wax myrtle species of birds and plants and ani- and others were planted in the upland mals that once lived there, are able to areas to restore the coastal hammock "shady continue to enjoy their isolation on ( place ") forest. Sand from dig- the Meadow Beach wetland preserve, ging out the wetland areas was used to and the people in the community can form dunes in the area. continue to walk the beach area. I Florida's Joan Durante Park is a wet - d restoration project. It shows what be done with donations of money d property and the help of volun- ers to bring together an area now ll used by the community. A wet - d and coastal hammock forest pro- es access to a diverse mix of plants, imals and ecosystems typical of astal southwest Florida. It is an area will visit often, particularly the bo- anical garden area, with so manv of the local flowers and trees. L'// Back across the bridge, north too y island, we passed by a place we ha visited before, the Coquina BayWalk a " Leffis Key. On our visits there we have seen numbers of vultures enjoying the area. Today as we slowly drove past the entrance, we saw vultures in the tops of the trees. As we opened the car win- Left: This showy white swamp lily bloomed just outside our window. Right: Vultures are black birds. The turkey vulture (pictured) is larger than the black vulture and dow and got out the camera, one of large, soaring is recognized by its red head. them started to take off. We could see its six -foot wingspan as it slowly rose on the warming thermals. During the Christmas holidays we strung some cranberries and popcorn even suet, w c ey evour w en and put the extra popcorn out in the there is nothing else available. Looking out our windows here in bird feeder. We soon found out that the red- bellied woodpeckers liked the pop- Florida we have been enjoying the blos- corn as well as they had enjoyed pea- sours of the swamp lily. With up to a dozen blossoms when all have opened, nuts with shells we had put out previ- ously. The popcorn was easier to carry this large plant with its showy white or away than the peanuts, which the birds purple flowers is often used as a plant - had to stab in order to get hold of them ing around the communities. We saw many of these large plants when we to carry up to their holes in the tele- phone poles, where they store them. were visiting the Joan Durante Park. Early in the morning sometimes, be- While we get some cold weather here, we don't get snow like the North fore we are ready to rise, we can hear the birds calling, letting us know the feeder Fork has this winter, but one thing we needs filling. They are colorful, noisy, did enjoy during the holidays was the Christmas Boat Parade, which passed but fun to watch, so well keep them sup - lied with sunflower seeds, popcorn or through the Inland Waterway in front of us as the bridge opened to let the tall sailboats and fishing boats, all beautifully decorated, through. The last to go through, all lit up, was the Wedding Boat. It was a beautiful sight. It is available to anyone who would like to hire it for a wedding with church service (seating for 100) and all. In fact we just saw an advertise- ment that there will be free church services on the boat on Sundays. Their advertisement reads, "America's ONLY Floating Chapel on the Bay" and "WOW," Worship on the Water.