The beginning of August is typically the best time to see our Ocean Friendly Gardens at Methodist Lane and the Village Green in East Hampton Village in full bloom, and that has certainly been the case this past week.
Our gardens have come alive with bees and butterflies buzzing around as the milkweed, marsh-mallows, and rudbeckia flowers are showing off their beauty and providing ample food and native habitat for local pollinators. We hope everyone who drives by appreciates the stunning display of biodiversity in these gardens!
But these gardens aren’t just beautiful, they are also providing a critical ecosystem service by soaking up rain and stormwater, reducing the flow of polluted runoff into downstream waters in Hook Pond and ultimately the ocean at Main Beach.
This is so important, especially as Tropical Storm Debby heads up the coast. Our Ocean Friendly Gardens are bioswales, strategically shaped to collect and slow down the polluted runoff as it flows off the road. The bioswales are planted with deep-rooted native plants that can soak up the water and filter out pollutants. This helps relieve flooding in the downtown area and makes our entire community more resilient in the face of climate change and extreme weather.
These gardens would not be possible without the efforts of our Chapter and the generous support of our community. Major shout out to Kris Liem and all of our dedicated volunteers who have showed up to help keep these gardens looking beautiful this year.
If you want to get involved, help us pull weeds, or learn more about the native plants in our garden, please contact ofg@easternli.surfrider.org
To support projects like these, become a member of Surfrider or donate to help us create a more resilient future through nature-based solutions and community action.
