Mike Bottini This is Me

Education

 Web References

1. 1. Independent Online

   www.indyeastend.com/detail.asp - [Cached]

   Published on: 12/3/2003   Last Visited: 12/3/2003

   Take A Hike With Mike
   ...
   After leading hundreds of trail hikes throughout the East End woods over his 14 years at the Group For the South Fork, Mike Bottini is now sharing his passion for hiking in his new book, "Trail Guide to the South Fork (With A Natural History)" Published by Harbor Electronic Publishing, the book describes 44 trails on different nature preserves throughout the South Fork. "I designed 20 of these trails as part of my work as Environmental Planner for the Group For the South Fork," said Bottini, who has been an avid outdoor enthusiast since growing up in Nassau County and later moving to the East End, where he now lives in Springs. He said he was motivated to write this book when he discovered how many people were not using this area's beautiful trails, primarily because there were no maps or guides to explain how to follow them, or what to expect as you walk them. "I wanted to also give detailed information on how to follow the trails if they aren't marked," he said. "The idea is to develop a sense of stewardship in people, and to get them out there hiking so they get to appreciate the area and want to care for nature and the trails. They need to understand that these trails are the route to our nature preserves, which are designated as open space and are our most beautiful areas." Bottini's has been writing aweekly column in the Southampton Press since 1988. Called, "South Fork Outdoors." "My column evolved out of my interest in outdoor recreation and adventure, as well as natural history and field ecology," said Bottini, 49.
   ...
   While hiking with his friend and fellow trail guide Rick Whalen, of East Hampton, Bottini tried to find the Old Montauk Road, which used to be along Hither Woods.
   ...
   Bottini "lucked out" because several local trails groups got excited by the prospect of this book and offered to lend their support in checking the maps. The Group For the South Fork, which also helped support this project, along with the Southampton Press, also helped with the trail maps. Bottini is donating royalties from his trails book to the non-profit environmental organization of Group For the South Fork. In his introduction to Bottini's new book, John DeLuca, president of the Group For the South Fork, said, "The excellence of Mike's work will inspire others to speak up for the protection of the natural world.
   ...
   As a board member of the Southampton Trails Preservation Society, and a former trails planning chairman of the East Hampton Trails Preservation Society, Bottini had had extensive experience with hands-on learning and training. He earned a Masters of Science from the School of Forestry at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, where he studied wildlife management and ecology, and did his thesis on elk. He spent four months doing research in Banff, Canada for this project. Before going to graduate school, Bottini worked at the well-known "Outward Bound" programs in Hurricane Island, Maine, in Dartmouth, New Hampshire, and even in Fort William, Scotland. After seeing the popularity and need for his trails book, Bottini is now planning to write a book on paddling through the East End, as an avid kayaker. "I'm now writing an article about a recent paddling trip I took, through the waters of Orient, Plum Island, Great Gull and Little Gull Islands," he said.