Giving Rye: Meet The Friends of Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary
Giving Rye is a feature series highlighting non-profits and community groups in and around the City of Rye. Today meet Jana Seitz of The Friends of Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary.
Your Name: Jana Seitz
Organization: The Friends of Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary
Your role: President
MyRye.com: Tell us your organization’s mission.
Seitz: The Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary is a Westchester County Park – a 179-acre haven adjacent to Rye Playland. The Friends of Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary (FRWS) supports the Sanctuary with funding and raising awareness for programs, facilities and activities managed by the Parks Department and the dedicated Parks curator and staff.
We have nearly 3,000 active members and the Sanctuary is always open to the public. We are dedicated to preserving and enhancing the Sanctuary and protecting its inhabitants 365 days a year.
We foster this mission through a variety of support for:
- Wildlife conservation and studies
- Habitat restoration
- Educational programs for all ages
- Trail and park maintenance
- Advocacy to guide the county’s stewardship of the property
- Volunteer efforts
How long have you operated in Rye?
Seitz: The Sanctuary itself is coming up on 40 years – officially founded October 5, 1985. We have a great history published on our website written by FRWS board member and Rye resident Paul Rheingold that takes us back to 1660, and then forward through many years to now. FRWS was founded in 1990.
What programming or work is the organization best known for?
Seitz: The Sanctuary is a haven for people to experience nature and beauty during all seasons and we encourage visitors to wander the trails on their own and find their favorite spots. So many people appreciate watching the osprey nest, learning through exhibits in our nature center, walking the boardwalk to the Sound, getting “lost” in the bamboo forest, photographing flora and fauna, and checking out the action in our pollinator garden.
From a programming standpoint, the Sanctuary offers dozens of programs for all ages all year long as well as a kids camp and plenty of volunteer opportunities such as beach cleanup days.
FRWS hosts a Fall Fest every few years which engages area residents and our members. – the next one will be October 2025.
Looking forward to 2025, what will be your top initiatives?
Seitz: We will celebrate the 35th anniversary of the FRWS, and the 40th anniversary of the Sanctuary, with the return of our fabulous Fall Fest on October 11, 2025.
We are forming a Citizen Scientist program, inviting members to create projects they can do onsite. Citizen Science is basic research and analysis of data conducted with hands-on participation from the public. Projects can vary in type and scope, and data is typically reported back to an organization. Simple examples might be tracking the timing of geese migration or the arrival of lantern flies. We will open a section on our new website to support participation in Sanctuary projects, with links to regional and national projects and resources.
As an official Audubon “Important Bird Area,” it is only fitting that we participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count February 14-17, 2025. We will share program information with members and the community in January.
Are you a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit with tax exempt status?
Seitz: Yes
(PHOTO: Chronolog shows the Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary Living Shoreline project.)
Looking back across 2024, what were your organization’s top achievements?
Seitz: We have had several achievements worth noting this year:
- Invested in land maintenance to take our sanctuary back from the ever-encroaching invasive plant growth.
- Launched a new website to provide a fresh online experience for members and other users, and to begin to automate some manual aspects of membership management and communication.
- Supported the Living Shoreline initiative taking place in the space between the end of the Playland property and the beginning of the Sanctuary. This initiative will help improve shoreline resiliency, reduce erosion, and support the local ecosystem.
- Completed another Summer Nature Camp, with at least 200 children (1st through 9th graders) over six weeks. Camp registration for 2025 will open in late Winter/early Spring.
How can local residents support your organization?
Seitz: The Westchester County Parks Department manages the Sanctuary itself, and FRWS provides a variety of support for the site staff, facility, exhibits and programs.
We have several opportunities for support and participation! We would love to have more area residents and visitors become members of the FRWS and actively participate in the wonderful programs and events hosted by the Sanctuary. Our curator organizes volunteer work projects. Some of the projects include reviving the compost bin, invasive plant removal and the planting of native seaside goldenrod. A calendar of events can be found on our site.
What local Rye residents and area businesses have been the steadiest supporters of your organization?
Seitz: There are so many, but we can call out a few here…
- Our 3,000 members!
- Playland, in all its iterations, has been a steadfast partner along with Standard Amusements
- Playland’s maintenance crew is our rock.
- George Latimer and Steve Otis always have our back.
- Jason Klein and Taro Ietaka at Westchester County Parks are our heroes.
- Special shout out to the Rye Garden Club for supporting our Pollinator Garden.
Tell us about you:
How long have you been in your current role?
Seitz: 12 years on board; 2 years as vice president; 8 years as president.
Are you a volunteer in this role?
Seitz: Yes – it is a part-time labor of full-time love. My current full-time labor of part-time love is writing “My Suburban Escapes,” a collection of day trips for your ‘average Joe’ within a 60-mile radius of the Tappan Zee. Pruning and organizing the 400-ish adventures I have is proving more difficult than expected.
How would your friends and family describe you in one word?
Seitz: I have no idea.
Where did you grow up?
Seitz: This assumes I have grown up. I was born and raised in Monroe, Louisiana.
What is your favorite unimportant thing about you?
Seitz: I have no idea.
If the next five years is a chapter in your life, what is this chapter about?
Seitz: Finding the groove of the Empty Nest. Completing My Suburban Escapes.
What would you do if you were not afraid?
Seitz: I’m not afraid. It’s a problem.
Where do you live in Rye and how many years have you lived here?
Seitz: 18 years, in INVISO (Indian Village South).
Thanks Jana!
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