Volunteers will work later this week to clean up the Purcell Preserve, one of the last remaining pieces of the Hempstead Plains in Nassau County.
If you’ve ever driven to the Nassau Coliseum, you’ve passed the Preserve in Uniondale. It’s a few dozen acres of undeveloped land bordered by Hempstead Turnpike on the south and Charles Lindbergh Boulevard on the north.
Friends of Hempstead Plains Conservation Project Manager Betsy Gulotta says the Plains were once a defining aspect of Long Island.
“It really helped to shape the development process of Nassau County and the towns and villages that grew up along the plains like Plainedge and Plainview and East Meadow and Garden City.”
The Preserve is home to several plant species that were part of the prairie ecosystem.
Gulotta says the Preserve is littered with garbage from illegal camping and is also damaged by ATV trails.
Gulotta says volunteers are still needed to help with Friday’s cleanup.