Closing Comments
By Mr. Daniel O’Connor

    The very first recognized Earth Day was April 22, 1970. On that
day approximately twenty million Americans attended festivals around the
nation. It was meant to celebrate environmental awareness and to hopefully
shock the political and media worlds into respecting the environment,
and its protection, as a major issue related to all of us. Not surprisingly,
SEQ was founded that very same year, along with the Federal EPA
and the NYS DEC.
    Neil Buffett, a graduate student at SUNY Stony Brook, recently
wrote a research paper titled A River’s Place: High School Student Activism
and Environmental Protection On Long Island, 1956-1974. In his paper,
Buffett discusses “the modern environmental movement” and its post
WWII groundswell that led to greatly expanded individual and group
efforts to logically research and propose solutions to various environmentally-
sensitive problems. According to Buffett, as our population and
economy grew, suburban sprawl challenged our local, state and federal
government agencies to keep up with the paralleling planning and regulatory
problems. Research, discussion, debate, compromise and political
activism all had their roles in shaping results.
    It was within this context that SEQ saw its purpose. I believe that
the founding members realized their unique position as educated young
adults who were caught up in the wildly changing socio-economic time
period, which is generally associated with the 1960’s-1980’s. As Neil
Buffett poignantly said, “Unlike their parents and other adult neighbors,
these young environmentalists were neither homeowners nor taxpayers.
This allowed SEQ members to develop their own environmental consciousness,
which was unhindered by questions of property rights and tax
assessments…”
    The interviews of former SEQ members and advisors conducted
over the last three years, along with the related research necessary to clarify
the comments of these interviewed and some admitted uncertainty
regarding specific details, have proven the valued part SEQ has played in
the lives of these people and the greater community. In today’s political
parlance, SEQ qualified as being a non-governmental organization
(“NGO”). Cooley forwarded to us the following comments on NGOs that
respectfully places SEQ in some exceptional good company: “SEQ was
formed in 1970. Environmental Defense was formed in 1967. The Nature
Conservancy in 1951. The development of non-governmental organizations
was one of the greatest democratic developments of the last half of
the 20th century. By existing and advancing their agendas, they injected
into the political discourse new ideas, new concepts, and new positions.
Those NGOs that had good ideas prospered and became stronger,
becoming integral parts of the political landscape. Some of the outstanding
environmental organizations have long and deep Long Island roots. It
may be hard to explain why here, but the burgeoning population growth
with the attendant disappearance of wild areas, was one of the major factors.
The quality of our environment spurred on Nature Conservancy,
Environmental Defense, Post-Morrow, Friends of Wertheim and, of
course, SEQ. It was an exciting time… and productive.”
    Today, besides having completed this History of SEQ project,
SEQ continues to work directly with these NGOs. Over the last several
years, we have worked with Post-Morrow, Ducks Unlimited, and the
Town of Brookhaven in the removal of non-native phragmites from the
eastern side of Beaver Dam Creek and the planting of several types of
native grasses to help restore the estuary. Over the last two years we have
renewed our commitment to volunteering for the Friends of Wertheim.
Also, in the fall of 2007, SEQ assisted the Nature Conservancy in the distribution
of “informational flyers” in their unsuccessful bid to have the
voters in the Town of Brookhaven approve “Proposal 3.” This piece of
legislation would have created the Brookhaven Community Preservation
Fund (“CPF”), which, by placing 2% real estate tax on future buyers of
real estate, would have allowed the town to protect more open space.
    Additionally, SEQ continues its association with the South Shore
Estuary Reserve Council (“SSERC”), which began back in the 1990s when
the two organizations cooperated for the South Shore Estuary
Symposiums. It was this cooperation with the SSERC and its Citizens
Advisory Committee that led to SEQ to work with Post-Morrow to host
the significant, well attended, all-day conferences to discuss common concerns
of the “South Shore Estuary”, from western Nassau County to
Shinnecock Bay in Suffolk County. These conferences were held at BHS
in 1997 and 1998. Hopefully, SEQ will host or participate in another,
especially given its current involvement. SEQ is presently assisting the
SSERC, and all of the cooperating governmental agencies and NGOs,
with the development of the Beaver Dam Creek Watershed Management
Plan. With training in the use of hand-held GPS units, we are verifying
locations of road drainage sites and storm water outfall pipes within the
designated watershed boundary.
    In concluding this “history of” project, it is important to note the
significance of former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and the UN
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change being named co-winners of
the Nobel Peace Prize in December of 2007. This acknowledgment and
the recommendations of the December 2007 United Nations Climate
Conference in Bali, Indonesia are encouraging signs that the world community
is pressuring all nations to confront the realities of global warming
and the challenges of reducing emissions of greenhouse gasses.
    Lastly, special thanks are extended to the following individuals and
associations:
        • The South Country Education Foundation, for the
        grant monies funding the printing of this project and for
        their patience concerning the extended time period
        necessary to complete it.
        • Mr. Tom Williams and the Post-Morrow Foundation, for
        providing some historical information, which they had
        archived.
        • Mr. Art Cooley, who has been the central person in terms of
        verifying so many details of SEQ’s past accomplishments.
        • Mr. Neil Buffett, for sharing his research paper entitled
        A River’s Place: High School Activism and Environmental
        Protection on Long Island, 1956-1974.
        • All of the former SEQ members and advisors for sharing
        their thoughts and cherished memories.
        • Mr. Daniel O’Connor, current SEQ advisor, for managing
        this project.
        • Ms. Ellen Hoffman-Budris, BHS English teacher, for
        assisting with the editing.
        • Mrs. Dolores O’Connor for editing of photographs used
        herein.
        • Ms. Grace Healy (BHS ’10) for entering all of the text on
        disc and proofreading with Ms. Ellen Hoffman-Budris.
        • Ms. Jayne B. Johnsen-Seeberger, BHS Librarian, for help
        with the high school’s yearbooks, archives and webpage.
        • Mr. Jim McGowan for editing this for posting on the internet