ChangeHampton is part of a movement addressing the crisis we are facing in climate change, bio-diverse habitat loss, species collapse and our poisoned waters.
We see the solutions all related—to how we see ourselves in the natural world, how we use our lands and whether we can imagine & create healthy, non-toxic & resilient landscapes of native and pollinator friendly trees & plants.
“The health of ecosystems on which we and all other species depend is deteriorating more rapidly than ever.
“We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide.”
–The UN Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services)
Bumper to bumper traffic now stretches for miles through the South Fork and beyond on the Montauk Highway, not only in summer.
Photo by Dan’s Papers.
These global consequences result from accumulated local decisions, such as the one facing East Hampton
regarding the Wainscott Commercial Center (WCC).
Why Care about the Wainscott Commercial Center?
JOIN US FOR A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE WAINSCOTT COMMERCIAL CENTER AND HOW YOU CAN BE PART OF THE RESPONSE. Jan. 19 @ 6:30 pm.
Let us know if you want to receive a zoom invitation to this discussion. Email us at: info@changehampton.org
Aerial photo with artist’s rendering of planned commercial warehouses and businesses on the 70.5 acre lot, stretching from the Montauk highway at Wainscott to the airport, a super-fund site. This 70.5 acre lot sits above East Hampton’s largest aquifer.
Len Green, of ChangeHampton reminds us…
“East Hampton, like the rest of the world, faces unprecedented ecological threats. Our single source aquifer has dangerously high nitrogen content. Suffolk County water ranks in the top 5% of public drinking water nitrate levels, exposing us to elevated risks of various cancers.”
“Our bays, estuaries and ponds are contaminated by dangerous levels of nitrogen. The algal blooms that close our waters to swimming and shell-fishing result from accumulated human actions. We have eroded the natural systems that clean our water, structure our soil, sequester carbon, and foster biodiversity. We have replaced complex ecosystems with impervious surfaces and turf mono-cultures.”
“To save ourselves and our local environment, we need to stop making misguided choices, and we need to resuscitate our life-supporting forests, wetlands, and grasslands. This is not a matter of cultural preferences, preferring nature over malls, for example; it’s about keeping our environs viable.”
This is why Change Hampton and a growing coalition of environmental organizations are working together to halt the disastrous development of the Wainscott Commercial Center.”
Find our more about the movement to oppose the Wainscott Commercial Center. Hear from Sara Davison, the Executive Director of Friends of Georgica Pond & Jaine Mehring, of East Hampton’s Energy & Sustainability Committee.
The Re-Wilding Movement …
began more than two decades ago in Europe as a response to the cataclysmic collapse of species. It has led to conservation and the wild transformation of thousands of acres of farm land, industrial properties, roadside meridians, even golf courses. Besides emphasizing the preservation of natural places, it has promoted the restoration of native trees and plants as well as the re-seeding of animal species like wolves and bison. The movement now stretches around the globe.
ReWild Long Island now has an East End chapter.
Because it takes many hands and hearts to save our ecosystem,
ChangeHampton is happy to welcome a like-minded sister organization to our community.
The East End chapter will expand a number of RWLI’s initiatives to our region:
Native plant sale: Every spring and fall, RWLI holds a native plant sale. When our local chapter finds a suitable host site, the sale will be easily accessible to East End residents.
Summer Internship Program: This provides high school students an opportunity to develop their interests and skills in sustainable gardening and environmentalism. Please contact us if you would consider participating as a mentor or partner organization.
Community Garden Funding and Guidance: RWLI will fund sustainable, pollinator friendly community gardens, providing free plants and consultations.
For more information about RWLI, go to their website or contact the East End chapter’s founders:
Nancy Erber <Nancy@ReWildLongIsland.org>
Leonard Green <Leonard.Green@ReWildLongIsland.org>
Gloria Frazee <Gloria.Frazee@ReWildLongIsland.org>
