The Friends of Connetquot is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation, conservation and history of the 3,473-acre Connetquot River State Park Preserve. We work to help management protect a pristine environment and historic buildings and artifacts. We also support educational programs, fishing facilities and hiking and equestrian trails.
Upcoming Events/Announcements
-
Bay Friendly Yards: Three Essential Elements
Saturday, January 16, 2021 - 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. via Zoom
The typical suburban lawn is heavily reliant on fertilizers, pesticides, and huge amounts of water. It’s polluting, expensive, lifeless and tired. Native plantings belong here. They are less expensive to maintain, beautiful, AND they help filter the groundwater before it hits a creek or the bay. Learn about the three essential elements of a Bay Friendly Yard with native planting expert Frank Piccininni of Save The Great South Bay.
Registration Information
-
Bay Friendly Yards: Creating a Butterfly Garden
Saturday, February 13, 2021 - 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. via Zoom
Pollinators are essential to our eco-systems. Learn how to create a patch that will attract local pollinators, including beautiful Monarch butterflies, right in your own backyard with native planting expert Frank Piccininni of Save The Great South Bay.
Registration Information
-
Bay Friendly Yards: Recycling Water
Saturday, March 13, 2021 - 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. via Zoom
Reduce, reuse, recycle applies to water as well. In this one-hour presentation, native habitat restoration expert,Frank Piccininni of Save The Great South Bay, will discuss rain barrels and bioswales to recycle water in your yard, reducing stormwater runoff and helping to keep the Great South Bay clean and healthy.
Registration Information
-
Long Island’s Vanished Heiress: The Unsolved Alice Parsons Kidnapping
Sunday, April 11, 2021 - 1:00 pm
Alice McDonell Parsons was the heir to a vast fortune among Long Island's wealthy elite when she was kidnapped from Long Meadow Farm in Stony Brook in 1937. The crime shocked the nation and was front-page news for several months. Former Suffolk County detective Steven C. Drielak reveals previously classified FBI documents and pieces together the mystery of the Alice Parsons kidnapping.
Where: Connetquot River State Park Preserve, Main Room
Registration for the lecture is free although seasonal parking rates apply.
Please visit the event page for more details and to reserve a seat


President's Letter, FOC Newsletter,
Fall 2020
The President's Letter for Fall 2020 has been released:
Here are the highlights:
- Connetquot River State Park Preserve’s manager and staff have been working hard at trying to manage the crowds, maintain the Mill, the Main Building, the Hatchery and the trails. As if things weren’t tough enough for them having to follow the stringent rules specified by New York State, the crowds increased greatly and managing it became a difficult but not impossible job.
- Our Lectures are still on hold and our fundraisers have been cancelled with the exception of the outdoor
Safari Scavenger Hunt
but we are hoping that the Covid situation will
end and we can resume soon.
- Our Gala has been cancelled but we are planning to honor Judge Peter Fox Cohalan, this year’s recipient of the Gil Bergen Conservation Award, with a plaque that will be created and placed near the entrance to the Main Building.
- Though the sun is still bright, still brilliant in the sky, it is cooler and the park will be awash with the multi-colored offerings of the trees in reds, yellows, golds, and orange. What better time to visit than in the weeks ahead when you can see the spectacular colors of the leaves and possibly help forget what a crazy year this has been!
Please visit the President's Letter page to read the full letter.
OnCell Audio Walking Tour!
Did you know you can take a walking audio
tour of Connetquot River State Park Preserve using your own cell phone? Thanks to
OnCell and the Friends of Connetquot, you can learn about
the history behind the landmarks of the park such as Mile
Marker "50", the various bridges along the trails, the Ice
House, Hatchery and more! Plus, you can find out what
to look for as you walk the trails of the park. It's a
whole new way to see Connetquot even if you've been here
hundreds of times.
Simply download the map here or get one at the entrance booth as you come in to the park. Call 631-703-3313 to begin the tour and look for the markers along the trail. Enter the number on the marker and you'll be treated to a short summary of what you're looking at and what to look for.
|