Natural Areas of the South Shore of Long Island

Brookside Audubon Sanctuary
(West Sayville)

Possibly the newest nature preserve in the South Shore Estuary Reserve is Brookside Audubon Sanctuary in West Sayville. Great South Bay Audubon Society has taken on its stewardship. Trails and a visitor center accompany this beautiful site.

The 5.8-acre Audubon property is attached to land owned by the Town of Islip and Sayville School District. When managed as one unit, they total almost 13 acres. The Town and County have purchased other parcels upstream to protect Green Creek, a tributary of the South Shore Estuary Reserve.

Renowned architect Isaac Green, from which the creek gets its name, once owned the property. He built many mansions, including the ones which house the Long Island Maritime Museum, the Suffolk County Parks Department, Connetquot’s park buildings, and the Roosevelt Estate (all described in this book).

The main portion of the preserve is on a peninsula between two ponds. A picturesque hand-built stone bridge and two smaller footbridges cross the creek. Several paths circle the ponds. A beautiful plantation of lush rhododendron greets you on the walk to the west pond. The woods around the pond and creek are made of white and scarlet oaks with brier tangles. Holly and low colonies of wintergreen (from which the original flavor of toothpaste and lifesavers came from) can be found.

For information, contact the Great South Bay Audubon Society at (631) 563-7716, P.O. Box 26, Sayville, NY 11782-0267. Guided tours by appointment only.

How to Get There: Take Sunrise Highway to exit 49 – Lakeland Avenue. Go south on Lakeland Avenue. Make a right onto Tariff Avenue and a left onto Greeley Avenue. Cross the railroad tracks and continue to the stop sign. Make a right onto Brook Street. Watch carefully on your right for the driveway for 59 Brook Street. Look for their sign on the fence.

Access Guide Introduction :: Map and Guide :: More Estuary Site Information
	Brookside Audubon Sanctuary (West Sayville) Possibly the newest nature preserve in the South Shore Estuary Reserve is Brookside Audubon Sanctuary in West Sayville. Great South Bay Audubon Society has taken on its stewardship. Trails and a visitor center accompany this beautiful site. The 5.8-acre Audubon property is attached to land owned by the Town of Islip and Sayville School District. When managed as one unit, they total almost 13 acres. The Town and County have purchased other parcels upstream to protect Green Creek, a tributary of the South Shore Estuary Reserve. Renowned architect Isaac Green, from which the creek gets its name, once owned the property. He built many mansions, including the ones which house the Long Island Maritime Museum, the Suffolk County Parks Department, Connetquot’s park buildings, and the Roosevelt Estate (all described in this book). The main portion of the preserve is on a peninsula between two ponds. A picturesque hand-built stone bridge and two smaller footbridges cross the creek. Several paths circle the ponds. A beautiful plantation of lush rhododendron greets you on the walk to the west pond. The woods around the pond and creek are made of white and scarlet oaks with brier tangles. Holly and low colonies of wintergreen (from which the original flavor of toothpaste and lifesavers came from) can be found. For information, contact the Great South Bay Audubon Society at (631) 563-7716, P.O. Box 26, Sayville, NY 11782-0267. Guided tours by appointment only. How to Get There: Take Sunrise Highway to exit 49 – Lakeland Avenue. Go south on Lakeland Avenue. Make a right onto Tariff Avenue and a left onto Greeley Avenue. Cross the railroad tracks and continue to the stop sign. Make a right onto Brook Street. Watch carefully on your right for the driveway for 59 Brook Street. Look for their sign on the fence.