Education is key at East Meadow Farm's annual Family Fun Day

The head of a turtle poked out from under a log in a small cage as 2-year-old Grayson Hohl, of East Meadow, watched during an educational seminar at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County’s East Meadow Farm.

“That one’s Hercules,” said Alice Hackett, a representative of Volunteers for Wildlife animal rehabilitation hospital, in Locust Valley. “Someone found him in the wild and brought him to us.” She pointed to another turtle toward the back of the cage. “And over there we have Trixie. Before we got her, all she was fed was freeze-dried shrimp.”

At the East Meadow Farm’s annual Family Fun Day last Saturday, Hackett was one of many volunteers describing the importance of preserving local ecology to the guests. Joann Zenewitz, the event chair, said that its purpose is to educate the public about the environment, offer high-quality produce and introduce visitors to the farm’s services.

“You have people of all different backgrounds here, but what connects us is our love of nature,” said Mindy Marcus, a master gardener at the farm and part of its Urban and Community Forestry Committee. “They call us the tree people,” she added with a laugh, explaining that she had a limited knowledge of “the woodies,” as she called trees, but had learned quickly, with the help of the committee’s other volunteers.

Two of them are Terry Dunckley and Eileen Rodgers. Both women held wet sponges on the back of their hands as they waved to Marcus. They were applying temporary tattoos before meeting with families to teach them about the importance of planting trees.

“Too many people are afraid to plant trees now,” Dunckley said. With hurricane season still under way, she noted, many people worry that their houses are at risk of being hit by falling branches by trees struck by lightning or high-speed winds.

Dunckley and Rodgers said they have taught many guests how to plant and maintain trees so they pose less of a risk in a storm. Trees keep soil in place and prevent erosion, they added, while absorbing air pollution and insulating nearby houses from wind.

Marcus gave the Herald a tour of the farm, which features a butterfly garden to enhance cross-pollination; a flower garden planted with dahlias and roses; and a beekeeping program, which teaches visitors the importance of preserving bees.

The farm stand is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays through November. The gardens are open for viewing all day from dawn to dusk.