Bethpage State Park Ecology

Did you know that our golf courses can be utilized as outdoor classrooms? Last week, I organized a special ecology field trip for Central Boulevard Elementary on the beautiful Green Course. This was a unique opportunity for students to roam and explore our fairways for a few hours. With the assistance of Bethpage District's Science Director K-12 Chris Pollatos and his staff, our park hosted four classes at once, a total of 80 students. This was our largest environmental education event to date!    To cover as much territory as possible, park staff set up different learning stations. Students were separated into groups and rotated every 30 minutes. One highlight was our new Discovery Garden. It has over 100 flora species, all labeled with identifying signage to familiarize students with different native plants.   Students were able to observe the diverse pollinators for which these plants support. Our Horticulturist Victor, gave a seasonal discussion on seeds and berries that frui