New High Rises in East Hampton and Sag Harbor

Before you start worrying about high density housing on the East End, relax! The new high rises rises that we're talking about are osprey nesting towers. Mike Bottini, Group for the South Fork's Environmental Planner -- organized the 12th annual osprey recovery project. Volunteers from the Group, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the East Hampton Natural Resources Department put up two osprey nesting towers -- one near Mile Hill Road in East Hampton, and the other at the end of Green Street in Sag Harbor. This year, Riverhead Building Supply donated 2x4s and 2x6s for the platforms; TNC's Mashomack Preserve donated the black locust tree poles, which were cut by the East Hampton Trails Preservation Society; and Kevin McDonald, Vice President of Group for the South Fork, built the platforms that sit atop the locust poles. Several other volunteers assisted on site on March 13th to attach the platforms and predator guards to the poles, dig holes for the poles, and hoist up the nesting towers. Volunteers from the community have pitched in every March for the past 12 years to help with the osprey recovery project. Thanks to their work, there are now about 50 artificial nesting structures for osprey in Southampton and East Hampton. They have a 70 percent occupancy rate.