Preservation Of The Sallie Ruppert Waterbird Park Preserve

Town of Huntington and US Fish and Wildlife are working together to maintain the Sallie Ruppert Waterbird Park-Preserve

On February 6th, the Huntington Town Board passed a resolution to execute an intermunicipal agreement with the US Fish and Wildlife Service for vegetative maintenance for the preservation of the Town of Huntington Sallie Ruppert Waterbird Park Preserve. The Preserve, which is located immediately south of Hobart Beach, is known to attract Federal and State protected species and is included in the New York Natural Area Registry for it’s ecological significance.In order to continue to attract certain types of federal and state protected water bird species to the preserve the agreement proposes the following actions.

Removal of all tree saplings (tree of heaven and black locust) from four acres of land.

Remove shrubs and other vegetation from a .34 acre area within the preserve. Also six 20-foot wide swaths will be cleared along the eastern and western borders to provide access to both shorelines.

The propsed actions are based upon a US Fish and Wildlife inspection and recommendations. These techniques will improve habitat for the shorebird species in question. The agreement will be in place for a period of five years.

Sarah Ruppert, known as Sallie, was a nature lover and a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. She became known as the “Bird Lady of Long Island” due to her efforts. Ms. Ruppert was responsible for the opening of a volunteers for wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and education center at Caumsett State Park. In 1976, the Town of Huntington passed a park-preserve ordinance to honor her efforts.