Gansett Square Now Organic
The eastern Long Island chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting oceans and beaches, has scored victories near and far in recent months. It took pride in the fact that soon after members of the chapter participated in a Feb. 12 lobbying effort in Washington, the Obama administration abandoned a plan to open a large stretch of East Coast waters to oil and gas drilling.
Last month, the East Hampton Village Board gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up to an offer from Tony Piazza, a Surfrider member and proprietor of Piazza Horticultural, a Southampton landscaping and design firm, to establish what is called a rain garden at the green near Town Pond. Plants will be put in that remove nitrogen and phosphorus from waters that run across the green before they seep into the groundwater.
Most recently, discussions with the management of Amagansett Square, the complex of commercial buildings and a large open green, yielded another success when Freddie Friedler, a manager of the Square, decided the popular gathering place would start using organic products.
The Surfrider Foundation’s eastern Long Island chapter initially contacted Mr. Freidler in March, when it was researching potential sites for its Ocean Friendly Gardens program, an effort to filter pollutants and conserve water and wildlife habitats, which also educates the public. The Square sees heavy foot traffic, the reasoning went, and hosts outdoor movies and concerts in the summer. At the Mandala Yoga Center for Healing Arts and Pilgrim Surf and Supply, the Square hosts businesses with an obvious interest in wellness and the oceans.
But “we were a little concerned when we discovered that the property wasn’t operating toxin-free,” Nicole Delma, vice chairwoman of the chapter, said.
An ocean-friendly garden, Mr. Piazza said, has to be organic. “We didn’t want to beat him over the head,” Ms. Delma said, “but we did say, ‘Freddie, why aren’t you green already?’ ” Mr. Friedler was receptive to giving up chemicals.
“We’ve been exploring the idea of going organic for a while,” Mr. Friedler said on Tuesday. The Surfrider representatives’ urging, he said, “made us push it further and look forward harder. It costs quite a bit more to do this, versus going the conventional route, and as commercial real estate it’s tougher to justify the cost. But part of the mission of the Square is to benefit the community — so many people enjoy the Square. We love Amagansett, so anything we can do to help preserve the environment is a plus for us.”
Mr. Piazza’s firm, which does not provide the Square’s landscaping and maintenance, said native plant species and those that require less water would assist in the transition to organic lawn care.
“It’s about time we started being more aware,” Mr. Friedler said. “Anything pushing to be organic and safer for people, I think that’s a just thing to do. More people should make an effort, instead of saying it costs too much.”
“We look forward to working with them,” Ms. Delma said of the Square’s management, “to make the most of this opportunity to educate the community on the benefits of organic lawn care for both our own health and the health of our local waters.”
“We’re really excited,” she said. “I hope we can do this in other spaces.”