Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

The McNeil River Brown Bear Sanctuary on the Alaska Peninsula is a very unique place for up close viewing of wildlife, especially brown bear. Photographer Kevin Ferris (ozarkimages.com) has visited the McNeil River sanctuary several times and will present a program that covers the history of the sanctuary, conservation approach applied at the McNeil Sanctuary as well as the photo experience. The sanctuary is accessible only through a lottery system which limits visitors to this amazing place.

Lecturer Bruce Kagan will give a stirring historical presentation of women rising above the prejudice to achieve their groundbreaking objective to pilot military aircraft that were often built and tested on Long Island.

Join the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society to learn about how the wildlife in our Sound and bays are harmed by marine debris such as straws, plastic bottles, and "ghost" fishing gear. Learn how you can help turtles, dolphins, seals, porpoises and whales by helping to monitor our beaches. A beach walk and clean-up will follow.

Join the basketweavers for their monthly meeting at the Hallock State Park Preserve Visitor Center Community Room. New members are welcome. New members are welcome.

Riverhead Library Adult Programs features this presentation by the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society on cetaceans of the New York Waters. The lecture will discuss the migration and behavior of these interesting creatures, as observed off the shores of Long Island, as well as the threats that they face from human activity during their time in our waters. There will also be a discussion on how the community can work with AMCS to protect these animals and provide them with a safer environment.

If the weather is nice, a beach walk and clean-up will follow at the Hallock State Pond Preserve Beach. For reservations, please contact Riverhead Library Adult Programs at (631) 727-3228, starting December 15, 2018.

Join the basketweavers for their monthly meeting at the Hallock State Park Preserve Visitor Center Community Room. New members welcome.

At 8:00 p.m., North Fork native, teacher and astronomer George Lamoga will present a lecture on lunar and solar eclipses with a focus on the January 20 lunar eclipse later that evening. Rain or shine.

At 9:30 p.m. Custer Institute astrophotographer Robert Farrell will demonstrate how to observe and photograph celestial objects through a telescope. The best observing of the lunar eclipse will start around 11 p.m. and continue past midnight to January 21. Bring your cell phone camera and get a picture for yourself. Hot beverages will be served. Weather permitting.

The Peconic Ruggers will meet at the Hallock State Park Preserve Visitor Center Community Room. New members are welcome.

George Bertunik, a member of the New York State Park Commission for Long Island and former Riverhead Town Board member, will give a presentation on the early industry that developed along the Peconic River.

Join the basketweavers for their monthly meeting at the Hallock State Park Preserve Visitor Center Community Room. New members are welcome.

The event will start with a short presentation at the Hallock Visitors Center about local marine life and the dangers from humans they face in Long Island waters. The group will then take a one-mile hike (sandy and inclined grades) to and along the Hallock State Park Preserve beachfront on Long Island Sound to check for cold-stunned sea turtles and to pick up beach trash blown in by the winter storms.

Join scientists from the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society to understand the seals we find in our local waters, the threats they face during their seasonal time here, and what we can do to help them. A beach walk and clean-up will follow, weather permitting.

Join Bruce Kagan for a 60 minute presentation on a little know part of Long Island history. This program spotlights the granite milestone markers that still sit along some of the busy North Shore roads. Bruce will present his bicycle journey to photograph the stones that remain. He will trace several theories about the origin and history of these markers, which have recently been proposed. Whether or not you have noticed these markers before, you will now be able to search for and recognize them on your future travels.

Learn about cetaceans and their behavior in our local waters from Atlantic Marine Conservation Society scientists. The discussion will include what you can do to help them survive. A beach walk and clean-up will follow, weather permitting.

Join the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society to learn about the four species of marine turtles that live off our shores and what we can do the help protect them. A beach walk and clean-up will follow, weather permitting.