Land Alliance to establish permanent headquarters

The North Shore Land Alliance is relocating its headquarters from rented space at the Plantings Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay to the Tavern House and Cook’s Cottage at the Humes Preserve in Mill Neck.

The alliance bought the Humes Preserve in 2015 for $5.3 million through community fundraising and grants before acquiring adjacent land parcels (Smithers Connector in 2016 for $296K; John P. Humes Japanese Stroll Garden in 2017 for $686K) to create a 42-acre flagship preserve where the foundation will have its first permanent and self-owned headquarters. Up until now, the alliance has rented or borrowed spaces since they were founded in 2003. The organization plans to move by December 2022 but awaits the renovation of the historic Tavern House and Cook’s Cottage, which has been underway since June.

The Tavern House and the Cook’s Cottage date back to the late 1700s, serving as a tavern and an adjacent store, respectively. Over the centuries, the Humes property as a whole was home to the Matinecock tribe, a working farm, and finally, the country estate of former U.S. Ambassador to Austria John P. Humes, Sr. and his wife Dr. Jean Schmidlapp-Humes. Few colonial era structures like the Tavern House and Cook’s Cottage are still standing on the north shore.   

Charlotte Brennan, who grew up in Upper Brookville, is the alliance’s stewardship associate, meaning she maintains the preserves and directs all volunteers. She is also moving into the Cook’s Cottage in the coming weeks. She believes having the headquarters on alliance-preserved land is important because it will foster a connection between the staff and their work, while also functioning as a model to the community.

“The whole point of our organization is to preserve land in perpetuity, so the fact that we are going to be based on land that we are preserving in perpetuity matters,” Brennan said. “Our headquarters will be an example for people in the community, showcasing green features: geothermal heating, clean water septic system, and a historic roof. We won't be hidden away. Rather you can see us; we will be in the community.”   

The 42-acres owned by the Land Alliance that surround the new headquarters connect with the Charles T. Church Shu Swamp Preserve — owned by North Shore Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Upper Francis Pond Preserve — owned by Nassau County, to preserve 150 acres in the Beaver Brook Watershed.

“The Humes Preserve and the Japanese Stroll Garden are in the heart of a corridor of 150 contiguous acres of open space in the Beaver Brook Watershed,” said Jane Jackson, who has been the director of stewardship since 2007. “The watershed has a number of unusual plant species, provides habitat for brook trout breeding, and is even home to river otters. The watershed is considered the most biodiverse area in Nassau County and is also considered very ecologically valuable Long Island-wide.”

The alliance’s objective is the conservation of large areas of minimally developed land like what is in the Beaver Brook. Along with biodiversity, land conservation is crucial to supporting clean water and air, mitigating climate change, and giving people the opportunity for recreation and fresh air.

Once renovation is complete, the headquarters will not only have office space for staff, but also spaces for the public. These new indoor and outdoor spaces, including a library, a lecture and workshop area, and an outdoor educational pavilion, will allow the alliance to expand their educational programming, particularly for children. Lisa Ott, president, and CEO of the alliance since 2003, said education is part of the larger objective to instill the community with a love and understanding of nature.

“Our big vision is for there to be a conservation ethic in this community. The more people know about birds, biodiversity, or the watershed, the more connected they become to the land,” she said. “If you're not on the land, you won't appreciate the land, and then you're not going to invest in protecting it in the future. Protecting land is integral to community health, so the more people we can engage through experiences and education, the healthier our community is going to be long-term.”

Beyond the additional capabilities it will allow and the ecological significance of its location, Jackson reflected on what a sense of permanence will mean to the organization going forward. 

“We’ll be turning 20-years-old next year, so it is a really opportune time to emphasize that we are a foundation of the community,” she said. “We’ve been establishing our work here over time, but this feels like a turning point.”

The North Shore Land Alliance is a 501(c)(3) non-profit land trust formed to protect and preserve, in perpetuity, the green spaces, farmlands, wetlands, groundwater and historical sites of Long Island’s north shore for the enhancement of quality of life and benefit of future generations. northshorelandalliance.org