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of Connetquot
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The Friends of Connetquot
is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the
preservation, conservation and continuation for
future generations of the Connetquot River State
Park Preserve. In order to maintain the
environmental, ecological, cultural and historical
integrity of the 3,473 acre preserve, the groups’
initiatives are:
•
To help preserve the pristine
environment
•
To lend support to the management
•
To help support the fishing
habitat, woodlands, flora and fauna, hiking and
bridle trail facilities and the educational programs
•
To help protect and restore
historic buildings
The Friends of
Connetquot believe that the act of preservation is
best accomplished when we keep an eye on the past, a
foothold in the present, and our arms outstretched
for the future.
Friends of Connetquot's 2009 Annual Appeal
Spring is here and with it renewal and rebirth. As
we go forward into the future with our plans to
restore and enhance the Preserve’s historical
structures and natural features for your enjoyment
and the cultural enrichment of the community, we
wish first to acknowledge the generosity of our many
friends who have made the following recent endeavors
possible and appeal to you once again so we can
continue to make the Preserve a treasure for all who
use it: Click here to read the
full appeal
Chairman’s Letter, FOC Newsletter,
Spring 2009
The Chairman's Letter for Spring 2009 has been
released. Chairman Bob Labuski writes about
the hatchery issue and some pending proposals
involved in rectifying the issue. The Friends
or currently seeking grants and donations to
continue the mill restoration as well as other
projects and recommends ways you can help.
Don't forget about the tours of the historic club
house on most Sundays. Come on down and bring
a friend. Also, we bid a sad goodbye to Brian
Behonick, assistant manager at Connetquot for 35
years who is retiring. We wish him well and
will miss him. Please visit the
Chairman's Letter page to read the full letter.
IPN and Trout Hatchery News
After over 120 years of continuous operation, the
hatchery was temporarily closed on December 31, as a
first step toward achieving the DEC goal of
eliminating IPN from the Connetquot River.
DEC and Parks have invited two consultants to submit
bids for a comprehensive study of the "IPN problem".
The first group (HDR) visited the Preserve in
December and submitted their bid in January. The HDR
bid will not be made public until the second
consultant (Fresh Water Institute) has visited the
Preserve in March and has submitted their bid. This
is being done to keep the bid process fair. It is
unlikely that any testing of fish in the river or
testing of river water or trial hatching or hatchery
cleanup will be done until a consultant is approved
and a study is funded by the State. Click here to read the
full statement
Friends of Connetquot's
12th Annual Fun Trail Ride - Recap
Despite
clouds and rain, over 100 brave and loyal “Friends”
of Connetquot came to our beautiful preserve on May
3rd, 2009. Gil Bergen and his loyal but sparse staff
did a great job of cleaning and preparing the barn
for the event. A mostly steady drizzle did not keep
some riders from still going out on trail for a
ride. Most friends opted to come by car and enjoy
the company, food and prizes. Click
here for more highlights from the 12th
Annual Friends of Connetquot Fun Trail Ride
Friends of Connetquot's 2008 Gala - Recap
Our
11th Annual Gala was held at Connetquot State
Park Preserve on Sunday, October 5, 2008 and was
a tremendous success. Once
again, supporters showered the Friends with their
generosity. While, thankfully, Mother Nature did not
shower us with rain, but did contribute a splendid
day for the Gala festivities. Friends’ president,
Bob Labuski welcomed those in attendance and the
traditional equestrian parade followed.
Click here for a recap,
photos and list of supporters.
Friends of Connetquot Shop Now Online!
Show
your pride in Connetquot State Park while helping
support the efforts of the Friends of Connetquot.
The Friends of
Connetquot store is now online featuring
terrific items as our Canvas Tote or T-Shirt proudly
displaying a printed image of the Nichols Gristmill.
Also available are our forest green Cotton Golf/Polo
Shirts and Heavyweight Crew Neck Sweatshirt.
All proceeds go toward supporting the Friends of
Connetquot and all major credit cards and PayPal are
accepted.
Help
the Friends of Connetquot Raise Funds to Restore the
Grist Mill
The
Friends of Connetquot is presently working with the
State of New York to restore the grist mill,
which
is a landmark of the Preserve and a registered
National Historic structure. It is the only
surviving "tub wheel"
mill on the east coast. With your support we can
make this structure a working mill and preserve it
for generations to
come. Plans have been prepared and work has started
but we need money to complete the mill restoration
and to
continue funding improvements to maintain and
enhance the Park.
Please click here to read
more about our effort and how you can help.
Despite
clouds and rain, over 100 brave and loyal “Friends”
of Connetquot came to our beautiful preserve on May
3rd, 2009. Gil Bergen and his loyal but sparse staff
did a great job of cleaning and preparing the barn
for the event. A mostly steady drizzle did not keep
some riders from still going out on trail for a
ride. Most friends opted to come by car and enjoy
the company, food and prizes.
Show
your pride in Connetquot State Park while helping
support the efforts of the Friends of Connetquot.
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