Saturday, March 2, 2019, 10 AM
Stillwell Woods Preserve, South Woods Road, Woodbury, Nassau County, NY
Trip Leaders: Eric Lamont
Old Growth Forest
Trip limited to 12 people; registration required
Nestled among the gentle hills of the Harbor Hill Moraine on Long Island’s North Fork is an old growth forest that has not changed much in hundreds of years. The forest is full of swamps and steep slopes making the land unsuitable for farming. The original forest was cut down in the 1700s but the soil was never turned over and farmed. A second growth forest sprung up and today many of the old trees are 150–250 years old. Participants will be introduced to the natural history of North Fork Preserve’s old growth forest, freshwater wetlands, and other ecological communities. To sign-up, email Eric Lamont and more information will be provided including the meeting place. Email: elamont@optonline.net
Joint trip with the North Shore Land Alliance
Saturday, April 6, 2019, 10 AM
William Floyd Estate, Suffolk County, NY
Trip Leaders: MaryLaura Lamont (woodpink59@gmail.com in case of bad weather)
Explore the natural and cultural history of the old Floyd Estate on Moriches Bay. The 613 acres of property still has some record size trees that are among the largest of their kind, and the fields and woodlands are almost as they were when the Floyd/Nichols family donated the property to the National Park Service in 1976. We will walk through a variety of habitats and will discuss botany, cultural plantings, and a bit of ornithology too.
Directions:
Directions to the Estate in Mastic Beach are as follows: (don't use GPS as typically it takes people to the wrong gates!) Take LIE or Sunrise Hwy to William Floyd Parkway and head south. You will come to the large intersection of Montauk Hwy and WFParkway. Continue south on Floyd Parkway for app. another 3 miles. When you see the CVS Pharmacy on the left hand side of the road turn left at that light. This is Havenwood Drive, which quickly merges into Neighborhood Rd. Continue on Neighborhood Rd through Mastic Beach for 2 miles. Road ends on Park Drive, where you turn left. Go a few hundred yards down this road and find the large Entrance Gates on the right hand side of the road. Park in the lot at the end of the entrance road.
Saturday, May 25, 2019, 10 AM
Stillwell Woods Preserve, South Woods Road, Woodbury, Nassau County, NY
Trip Leaders: Al Lindberg (ajlindberg@optonline.net)
Oak Woodlands
Stillwell Wood is a 270-acre preserve/multi-use area with several interesting habitats, which include managed grassland, old field, Juniper and Oak woodlands. On this trip we will concentrate on the Oak woodlands, which are unique in Nassau County’s preserve system. Occurring on the County’s eastern border within the hills and ravines of the Harbor Hill Terminal Moraine, the sandy soils and flora present a habitat more typical of eastern Long Island’s pine/oak barrens.
Please contact the trip leader to register in advance for this walk and in case we need to cancel due to weather. Insect repellent for ticks, sunscreen, water and a snack are recommended.
Directions:
Stillwell Woods is located next to 72 South Woods Road, behind the Town of Oyster Bay recreational fields, in Woodbury. Meet at the parking area at the farthest end from the South Woods Rd. entrance, past the recreation fields.
Saturday, June 22, 2019, 10 AM
Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park, Upper Brookville, Nassau County, NY
Trip Leaders: Rich Kelly (vze2dxmi1@verizon.net)
Fields and Woodlands
Have you gotten past the formal gardens or the greenhouse? Planting Fields is over 400 acres, and has much natural habitat that we will explore. There are many fields and edges, as well as deciduous woods. There is an extensive area of woodland that is predominated by Mountain Laurel and other ericaceous plants. This is also the time of year when the most diversity of plants in flower is to be expected in our area.
Meet at the west end of the main parking lot. There is an entrance fee unless you have an Empire Pass. Please contact trip leader in advance in case we need to postpone or cancel due to weather. Insect repellent for ticks, sunscreen, water, and a snack are recommended.
Directions:
Meet at the west end of the main parking lot.
Sunday, August 11, 2019, 10 AM
Ridgewood Reservoir, Highland Park, Queens County, NY
Trip Leaders: Rob Jett (NewtownHistory@gmail.com) and Andy Greller (agreller2@optonline.net)
Ridgewood Reservoir Nature & History
The Newtown Historical Society will lead us on a natural history and history tour of the Ridgewood Reservoir, which was recently added to The National Register of Historic Places. We will walk around the granite-block reservoir looking for aquatic and woodland birds, and for plants that have come in after the abandonment of Ridgewood Reservoir as a water source for the City of Brooklyn. If time permits, we will explore the woodland that has developed at the bottom of the large, treed kettle hole in adjacent Highland Park. Leading for the Newtown Historical Society will be Rob Jett author of The City Birder, and for LIBS it will be our own Andy Greller.
Dress for the weather, bring a snack, water and insect repellant. Binoculars and a hand lens are recommended. Contact the Newtown Historical Society or Andy to RSVP or for further information.
Directions:
We will meet at the Vermont Place parking lot of Highland Park, which is exit 2 of the Jackie Robinson Parkway.
Sunday, September 22, 2019, 10 AM–2 PM
Alley Pond Park, Queens, NY
Trip Leaders: Daniel Atha (datha@nybg.org); 718-514-3922
Smartweed Savvy
More than twenty species of Smartweed occur in New York State. These beautiful plants are intimately associated with animal disturbance (including humans) and are abundant in both wilderness and urban environments. They are also challenging to identify; and floras, field guides and manuals are often difficult. Join North America's Smartweed expert, Daniel Atha on a field trip to Alley Pond Park where almost half of the state's Smartweeds have been found. Learn the best characters to reliably identify Smartweed from both fresh and preserved specimens.
Lightning and heavy rain cancel. Bring a hand lens, suitable clothing, insect repellent, water and snacks.
This is a joint field trip with New York Flora Association, the Long Island Botanical Society, and the NYBG's New York City EcoFlora.
