Wild Ones chapter seeks to educate Long Island residents about trees, native plants

It started when an oak tree fell onto Fred Nass’ Merrick home. 

A neighbor offered to help the 68-year-old chop it up and the two discussed how too many trees were being felled in the hamlet. That conversation spurred the introduction to Long Island of the Wisconsin-based nonprofit called Wild Ones by Merrick residents concerned about tree loss in their community. 

Now, the nonprofit’s seedling chapter, headed by Nass, works to educate Nassau, Suffolk, Brooklyn and Queens residents on the importance of trees and native plants. Although the local chapter formed in February 2022, the concept of championing the environment and wildlife have been at the forefront of Nass’ mind since childhood, thanks to his mother, who was an environmental steward. Inspired by his upbringing, he said he turned his yard into a “a woodland garden.”

“We’re dependent on it,” he said of the environment. “We’re dependent on a healthy environment for our water, our air, our land, to keep us healthy.”

Andrea Casano, 42, vice president of the local Wild Ones chapter, said by her count, about 100 trees have been removed by private property owners on the blocks near her Merrick home over the last two years. She said she believes a lack of education about trees and native plants is contributing to the loss. Wild Ones can combat that, she said. 

“I feel like the education about how to take care of a tree, our generation doesn’t know about it,” she said. “There’s a huge education piece there that’s missing.” 

Wild Ones hopes to fill that gap and plant seeds of change. 

Nonprofit leaders met with Hempstead Town officials in October, and in March, submitted a proposed tree and plant ordinance that town attorneys are reviewing for possible implementation. The proposed ordinance calls for the protection of native plants and preservation of old-growth trees on private property. 

Wild Ones is also in talks with Birch School in Merrick about creating educational programs for students related to environmentalism. The nonprofit began a series of “Walkie Talkies” in June where residents take a walk with arborists to learn about tree identification and care. 

“Civic engagement is paramount to ensuring good government, and we are grateful to all civic groups for their efforts in helping to craft legislation that benefits all residents,” said Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin. 

More and more Long Island municipalities are turning their attention toward the environment. Islip officials adopted a resolution recommending developers set aside a minimum of 10% of their landscaped area for pollinator-friendly vegetation. North Hempstead last year introduced a pilot program to add oysters back into Manhasset Bay. 

Part of the nonprofit’s goal is to promote environmentally sound landscaping to ensure Long Islanders rely on native plants to keep their yards beautiful — while offering resources to wildlife. Native plants are vital to supporting local ecosystems, said Agatha Martello, the Wild Ones community lead for Oyster Bay and a conservation biologist. 

Through her organic and regenerative landscaping business, More Than Gardens, Martello, 35, introduces aesthetic landscaping with indigenous plants that will provide food and habitats for pollinators, insects and birds, which have evolved over millennia to rely on native vegetation. Without it, they are at risk, Martello said.

“It’s time to fix the climate,” she said.

By Brinley Hineman

brinley.hineman@newsday.com

Brinley Hineman covers the Town of Hempstead and the City of Long Beach for Newsday. She previously was a reporter in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a West Virginia native.