Island Programs

Mosquito Control
To learn more about our Mosquito Control program, including the contact telephone number for reporting breeding grounds, click here.

Nature Days
The Conservancy sponsors an annual environmental awareness program. For information about the program, including copies of the programs from prior years, click here.

Environmental Gardening and Invasive Species Management
The Conservancy is engaged in an experimental pilot program to control the growth of Phragmites. Learn more about this program here.

Marine & Fresh Water Conservation
Among its other activities in this area, the Conservancy helped fund the purchase and on-going maintenance of a pump-out vessel. Learn more here.

Feral Cat Population Control
For information about our program to respond to the feral cat population program in a humane way, including the telephone number to call with cat sightings, click here.

Advice on Septic System Maintenance
In order to best protect our Island please make sure you follow proper septic system maintenance. When a septic system is too full or poorly maintained it can leech harmful contaminants into surface water.

A few warning signs of a failing system:
- Most systems are designed to last 20-30 years
- Sewage back-ups in drains or toilets, especially if black liquid or with odor
- Slower than usual flushing of toilets
- Liquid seeping or "spongy" feel on ground around septic system (with or without odor)
- A strong disagreeable odor around your house, especially if a lot of water (from many showers, laundry, etc.) has just been put into the system
For further information on household septic systems go to http://web1.msue.msu.edu/imp/mod02/01500606.html or http://www.inspect-ny.com/septic/lockwood.htm

How often should my septic system be pumped out?
- There is not one answer. It depends on size of your tank, how many people are using it and how many months each year your system is used. Please call you local contractor to help you answer this important question or follow this link to see some recommended guidelines for appropriate pump-out intervals. www.inspect-ny.com/septic/tankpump.htm

Beach Clean Up
An Island family funds an annual program to keep the Island's beaches clean throughout the Summer. Learn more about this program here.

Refuse and Recycling
The Conservancy assisted in the development of the current transfer station. Learn more about this program here.