A Christmas gift to the Village of Garden City was announced with the Dec. 18 notification to the Garden City Bird Sanctuary of a grant of $7,500 in funding in response to the Bird Sanctuary's successful application for an Urban and Community Forestry Project. Denise M. Sheehan, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation commissioner, notified Rob Alvey: "On behalf of Governor Pataki, I want to congratulate you on your successful application to receive funding for your Urban and Community Forestry Project. Your tree planting project has been approved for a total state share of $7,500 ... You are to be commended for your success in this grant process. I am pleased to support your effort at improving your urban tree cover. Together we are helping to enhance natural resources for all New Yorkers for generations to come ... Across the state, it is heartening to see the initiative of municipalities, grassroots organizations and volunteers working in partnership to further improve New York's urban forests. Again, my congratulations on your successful proposal."

The $7,500 is the maximum amount that can be awarded based on the population of the municipality. This was a 50-50 matching grant competition, where a minimum of 50 percent of the proposed project funding had to come from non-federal and non-state sources. The proposal submitted by the Bird Sanctuary more than met that requirement with letters of commitment from a wide number of local residents, businesses and organizations, totaling over $25,000 in donated services, materials and funds.

"We actually were astounded that so many people and organizations were able to pledge support. Both the Western and Central Property Owners Associations were strong supporters, as were Bartlett Trees, Presidential Tree Care, Plant Health Care and Harder Trees. The environmental clubs and schools such as Garden City High School, Chaminade and Mineola High School, and Adelphi and Nassau Community all added their support as well as the Garden City Community Church youth group. Generous donations were also received from Hallen Construction and Jamaica Bearings Company. Letters of support were also provided by Nassau County Presiding Supervisor Judy Jacobs and NYS Senator Kemp Hannon, which attested to the long-term efforts by the Garden City Bird Sanctuary to successfully redevelop the nine-acre Nassau County storm water basin into an attractive community nature center," Rob Alvey, Bird Sanctuary president, said.

Work is planned over the next two years, and some has already been initiated. The final planting design will be approved by the Nassau County Department of Public Works in accordance with the cooperative use and occupancy permit for the site. The goal is to install native trees and shrubs as well as identification markers to educate visitors on the variety of native plants useful in attracting and sustaining wildlife.

In addition to trees, there will be a need for an extensive amount of new shrubs and groundcover plants. The current membership drive for 2007 also includes a letter asking for additional donations to "adopt" shrubs for this project and the responses to date have been great. If organizations or individuals would like to sponsor a $100 shrub under this program, contact Alvey at 326-1720 or email the gcbirdsanctuary@aol.com by Jan. 15. Donors will have markers installed at the site.