Past Friends of Connetquot Events

June 25, 2011 - Polo and Music

The rain gods were against us all in late June, and we had to cancel the event on both the original date and the raindate. Luckily Toby Walker was available for a third raindate on June 25th.  Bob Ceparano and Country Farms Polo were very generous in offering their wonderful facility for our first foray into this kind of fundraiser. Despite having to change the date so many times we sold 72 tickets for the event. Gates opened at 6:00 P.M. and our guests were greeted by an opening set by fellow farrier and friend Dean Fritcher. Dean is a student of Toby’s and did a great job in warming up the crowd. At 7:00 P.M.,Toby took the stage and played a stirring rendition of Sousa’s” Stars and Stripes Forever”.  The teams were introduced and the game began. Arena polo is quick paced and there is never a dull moment. The announcer Jerry Napp kept everyone well informed.

At halftime, Toby took to the stage again, (or should I say got on the truck bed.) Toby is a consummate professional and gave us a great show full of songs and stories for almost an hour.  All through the evening Smiley Burger and Vineyard 48 cooked and served the best burgers and Long island wines.  The Friends held a 50-50 raffle and the lucky winner took home $210.00. The game finished up around 9:00 and all headed home safely and happy.

Many thanks to Country Farms Equestrian Event Arena, Toby Walker, Dean Fritcher, and the members of the Friends of Connetquot board who helped make the event a success: Rita Trapani, Aimee and Randy Schmitt, Joe Mikulas, Ed Kellerer, Bob Labuski, Ginny Fields, Liz Bloom and Rita’s brother John Linitz and all who supported our event.  Hopefully we will do this again next year.  For more information about future events like this, be sure sign up for our email newsletter (in the left hand column.) To see more about Toby visit www.littletobywalker.com, "google" him or find him on YouTube. If you would like to see more about polo, visit www.country-farms.com.

Photos on this page Courtesy of Bob Labuski - Click the photos to enlarge

More photos are available at Newsday's Explore L.I. website

May 22, 2010 - Birding and Breakfast

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May 22, 2010, was a beautiful spring day that brought thirty-seven people to Connetquot River State Park Preserve to enjoy a sumptuous array of breakfast treats and a guided bird walk on the trails of Connetquot.  Given the large number of people that attended, two groups were formed and leaders Ken Thompson and Edith Wilson were kept busy pointing out birds as well as other wildlife and fielding the questions of their respective group.  East Islip High School sent a few students who needed the program to fulfill a requirement of their curriculum.  It was a pleasure to have these young people along as they seemed very interested in not only the birds, but plants, butterflies and other animals we encountered.  As we walked, bird song filled the air and challenged us to identify the species that produced it.  We heard more birds than we saw as the copious spring rains dressed the trees and bushes with a heavy suit of leaves that effectively hid wrens, pewees, phoebes and others from our view.  Nevertheless, we managed to tally a total of forty-six species seen or only heard by either group or both, as follows below. - Co-leader Edith Wilson

(Photographs courtesy of Patrick J. Burke)

The Birding and Breakfast program is a collaboration of Friends of Connetquot, Great South Bay Audubon Society, and NYS Parks.  The next program will be held on Saturday, September 18, 2010.  Reserve the date!

September 26, 2009 - Birding and Breakfast

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Through a collaboration of Friends of Connetquot, Connetquot River State Park Preserve and Great South Bay Audubon a Bird & Breakfast program was held, as an Important Bird Area (“IBA”) activity. A group of 20 people led by John Gluth and Edith Wilson walked the trails of the park from 9:30 to 12:00p.m. and observed the following birds:

All attendees got to see a beautiful rainbow as we wound up our morning Connetquot Birding Field Trip and a small painted turtle.

— Co-Field Trip Leader, Edith Wilson