There is a place within biking distance of your home where you can see a red fox at dawn, or a red hawk at dusk. You can watch goats butting heads, or a guinea hen on its nest. You can go kayaking, or fishing off a pier directly above a fishing hole.
You can hike or take a jitney tour, and the views in 360 degrees are breathtaking. To the south are wetlands and fishing shacks from long ago. To the north are housing tracts and skyscrapers. To the west is the Manhattan skyline and even the New Jersey Palisades.
People from around the world come to marvel at it, most recently from the University of Cyprus.
Have you guessed yet? It is the crown jewel of the Town of Hempstead parks and preserves, the Norman Levy Park and Preserve atop the former Merrick landfill.
Because it is a former landfill, it falls under the jurisdiction of Sanitation Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner Dick Ronan and Mike McConnell, not the parks department. They have made it a labor of love, with strong support from Supervisor Kate Murray, a firm believer in green initiatives.
The Friends of the Levy Preserve, headed by Jay Pitti, the man who first dreamed of a preserve atop the landfill, are eager to recruit members from frequent visitors. Information can be obtained at the ranger station. But if all of this is news to you, call 804-2000 to learn more about this secret garden.