Alley Pond Environmental Center Festival Aims to Draw Support for Little Neck Bay

hopes to draw attention to the upkeep of Little Neck Bay during its seventh annual Estuaries Day on Sept. 24.

The free festival, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., will include educational exhibits, interactive booths from various organizations, live animals, community groups, boat rides, crafts and games.

“Estuaries are a good resource because they are where fish come in and spawn,” said Aline Euler, the environmental center’s education director. “In order to protect this resource, we need to do things that will help the environment.”

The city’s Parks Department will take attendees out in canoes, while the Bayside Marina will provide boat rides. The environmental center will provide snacks and music for children as well as nature walks and composting activities.

Euler said the Mattinecock Tribe who once populated the area referred to the Little Neck Bay as “sintsink,” or “bountiful bay.”

“The bay has an interesting history,” she said. “During the winters, people were able to get clams, oysters and mussels from it because it had salty waters. We need to all get together to preserve it. We need to be cognizant of our actions and think about sustainability. We want to keep the bay from being polluted. At times, you can’t swim there.”

The center will promote several methods of pollution prevention during the event, such as asking residents not pour oil down their drains because the substance goes straight into the local water, Euler said.

Attendees will also be asked to remain vigilant about picking up litter from neighborhood streets to prevent it from being washed into the bay during rainstorms.

A number of governmental agencies as well as community and historical groups will attend Estuaries Day. A local beekeeper will give out honey samples, while the city’s Department of Environmental Protection and the Coast Guard will hand out information on the bay.

“I hope visitors take away some information on what an estuary is and learn about its different resources,” Euler said.

For more information, visit Alley Pond Environmental Center’s website.