LongHouse Talks: Betsy McCully, At the Glacier's Edge (September 14)

Saturday, September 14 | 3:00 pm 

Vast salt marshes, ancient grasslands, lush forests, pristine beaches and dunes, and copious inland waters, all surrounded by a teeming sea. These are probably not the first things you imagine when you think of Long Island, but just beyond its highways and housing developments lies a stunning landscape full of diverse plant and animal life.

Sharing a love for Long Island and natural history, author Betsy McCully and activist Leonard Green will discuss her book At the Glacier's Edge: A Natural History of Long Island from the Narrows to Montauk Point. Combining science writing, environmental history, and first-hand accounts from a longtime resident, At the Glacier’s Edge offers a unique narrative natural history of Long Island. Betsy McCully tells the story of how the island was formed at the end of the last ice age, how its habitats evolved, and how humans in the last few hundred years have radically altered and degraded its landscape. Yet as she personally recounts the habitat losses and species declines she has witnessed over the past few decades, she describes the vital efforts that environmental activists are making to restore and reclaim this land—from replanting salt marshes, to preserving remaining grasslands and forests, to cleaning up the waters. At the Glacier’s Edge provides an in-depth look at the flora, fauna and geology that make Long Island so special.

About Betsy McCully

A nature writer and historian, Betsy McCully is motivated by her desire to provide her readers with a deep historical perspective on how an urban place has evolved and how it’s been altered by humans. She believes that knowledge of the powerful natural forces and processes that have shaped and continue to shape an urban region like New York helps us to appreciate the magnitude of our human impact on nature. Whether we are urban, suburban, or rural dwellers in the land, we are part of the larger biological community. Put simply: we share our living space with other living things. Betsy lives on Long Island with her husband. A former assistant professor of English at Kingsborough Community College, CUNY, she cofounded the Kingsborough Eco-Festival and has frequently written and lectured about New York’s environmental history. Her previous book was City at the Water’s Edge: A Natural History of New York (Rutgers University Press, 2007).

About Leonard Green

Leonard Green is a retired English professor who has taught at private and public universities. At CUNY’s Kingsborough Community College, he served for many years as Director of Freshman English and Assistant Director of the Learning Center. Born on Long Island, Leonard comes from a family of farmers and gardeners. His grandparents left their Virginia farm for Long Island during the Great Migration. As a child, he helped plant and maintain their family gardens. He now lives in East Hampton, where he and his wife, Nancy, have converted most of their property to native woodland, mixed meadow, and native gardens. He is a co-founder of Change Hampton, a group dedicated to promoting native gardens and sustainable landscaping practices and  serves on the board of ReWild Long Island, an organization dedicated to collaborating with local communities across Long Island to protect and improve the biodiversity, resilience and health of regional ecosystems.

LongHouse is pleased to have collaborated this year with ReWild Long Island on a newly planted ReWild Woodland garden designed by Tony Piazza of Piazza Horticultural and maintained by volunteer members of ReWild Long Island. Visit our digital guide on Bloomberg Connects for more information.