Southold students, civic groups help root out invasive plants, restore Custer Preserve meadow

Each summer, spiky purple lupines overwhelm the meadow at the Custer Preserve in Southold. The perennials though beautiful are an invasive species that wreak havoc on the ecosystem, making it difficult for other plants to compete for soil, water and nutrients.

In the spring, a coalition of civic and environmental groups made it their mission to restore the meadow through the use of sustainable gardening practices.

“Our goal is to bring more green, protected spaces that have no pesticides or herbicides so that the birds, butterflies and bats have a place to go,” said Nancy DePas Reinertsen, 65, who helped launch the North Fork Pollinator Pathway, which seeks to protect habitats that attract pollinators.

Reinertsen works with Southold science teacher Debra Kimmelman and Taralynn Reynolds, outreach director at the environmental nonprofit Group for the East End, which advocates for conservation in the region.

In the spring, volunteers began clearing invasive plants and laid layers of newspaper and mulch to suppress weeds. Months of hard work culminated on Oct. 23, as more than 500 seedlings were placed into the ground by nearly 50 volunteers. Many of those volunteers included Kimmelman’s fifth grade students, who have been learning about environmental stewardship, native plants and pollinators in class and in the school’s garden.

Kimmelman said she infuses her lessons with her experience as a master gardener.

“Even though [nonnative plants] provide a little pollen, a little nectar, native pollinators are not really getting the nutrients that they need,” she said. 

How does she explain that to 10-year-olds?

“It’s like going to McDonald’s versus making a home-cooked meal,” said Kimmelman. “I’m hoping they’ll see the big picture.”

The real-world lesson certainly left a mark.

"Planting the plants was fun," said 10-year-old Pablo Dominguez. "I loved helping preserve nature."

Classmate Joey Pagano, 10, added: "I really enjoyed working with [the volunteers.]"

Plants, irrigation and design plans for the preserve were provided as part of a $1,500 grant from ReWild Long Island, a Port Washington-based nonprofit that promotes sustainable landscaping.

The six-acre Custer Preserve is the 13th public space the organization has helped transform into a native plant habitat. Other locations include churches, schools and historic sites across Long Island.

“The point of these gardens is to show people that a native plant garden can look good,” said ReWild member Beth Sutherland, 65, of Setauket. “A lot of people think native plants are weeds, just things that are growing around by the roadside.”

Other partners in the project include the Southold Peconic Civic Association, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County and Southold Town.

Habitat loss and pesticide use are harmful to pollinators, which play a crucial role in agriculture, Reynolds said. Without pollinators, farms could face reduced yields, threatening the food supply.

“Insects are called the little things that run the world, because they do,” Reynolds said.

The replanting project was the next step in a five-year effort to reclaim and maintain the space.

The group also plans to mow walking trails and install benches for the community to use.

“It’s important to get the community involved,” Reinertsen said. “People have to be aware of what we’re putting on our lawns, gardens, and what we eat. Everything is interconnected.”