The Garden City Bird Sanctuary is pleased to announce that Stephen Corbett, a former Floral Park mayor, will be the recipient of the 2006 Garden City Bird Sanctuary Environmental Stewardship Award at the gala dinner reception scheduled for Saturday, April 29, at Koenig's restaurant in Floral Park. Tickets for the gala are currently on sale and can be ordered through the Garden City Bird Sanctuary by calling 326-1720.

This is the fourth Environmental Stewardship Award the Garden City Bird Sanctuary has awarded, which honors exceptional commitment to volunteer community service and the environment. Previous winners have included Senator Kemp Hannon, Chaminade High School's Emmaus Organization and Andrew Hult. Corbett joins this group for his constant diligence and efforts to create our "sister" site, Floral Park Centennial Gardens and Bird Sanctuary.

Corbett and his wife, Mary, have been married for over 30 years and raised three children, Brian, Christopher and Kerrianne. He works for Edwards Lifesciences on medical device sales and marketing of cardiovascular devices. He has been very active in many organizations leading to his appointment to the Floral Park village board in 1987 as trustee, serving four terms before election as mayor in 1995. He served three terms as mayor until 2001 and also served on the executive board of the Nassau County Village Officials Association for 12 years, serving as president in 2000-2001.

Centennial Gardens and Bird Sanctuary was created in1999 and dedicated in October 2000 with the erection of new estate style black aluminum fencing and the selected removal of over 120 weed trees and large shrubs. The site, using Nassau County Storm Water Basin #120, comprises approximately 12 acres from curb to curb with the actual basin comprising between eight and nine acres. The Village of Floral Park currently has a 30-year lease for dual use of the property for community benefit.

The impetus for the creation of this project was multifold: the deteriorating condition of the exterior of the basin and the ongoing teen problem for decades in the drainage basin area; the potential for Nassau County to sell the land to a private developer or as active recreation; and the motivation of several residents in the area who recognized the opportunity presented and the actions of Rob Alvey in Garden City inspired them,

The Floral Park Conservation Society was formed by approximately 10 volunteers and led by Chris Deeks, the first president. Corbett became president in 2001 after retiring as Floral Park mayor.

The Floral Park Conservation Society is an all-volunteer organization, much like the Garden City Bird Sanctuary, but their focus is more varied. The Floral Park Conservation Society's intent was to develop the area into passive gardens and walking paths and to date they have planted hundreds of trees and shrubs along with multiple specific gardens. They have added over 50 specimen trees as part of the John Lewis Childs Arboretum (founder of Floral Park). Because the facility is village-leased and the Floral Park Conservation Society does the development and interior maintenance, they have been successful in drawing development money to stay on pace for developed gardens for Floral Park's centennial in 2008. The village board is supportive of the project and provides some key funding. Last spring, the 72-foot walking bridge was completed on the center path, serving as a centerpiece for the gardens.

The volunteers are the backbone of the Bird Sanctuary and they have created some exceptional gardens and hardscape designs. Floral Park Centennial Gardens and Bird Sanctuary plans on adding a small pond in 2007 to assist in attracting and maintaining wildlife at the site.

The considerable effort to develop a project like the Garden City Bird Sanctuary or Floral Park Centennial Gardens would not work without strong views for the environment and providing a resource for school children to get hands-on experience in the years to come. The Garden City Bird Sanctuary congratulates Steve Corbett and his family on this award and invites supporters from both communities to attend the gala dinner April 29 at Koenig's restaurant in Floral Park. For reservations, call Rob Alvey, Garden City Bird Sanctuary president, at 326-1720.