New York pine barrens are unique woodland communities made up of pitch pine, scrub oak, and grassy areas. Blueberries and ferns blanket the ground. Dozens of threatened or endangered creatures prefer this vegetation, making this rare community their home. [Read more…] about Exploring Rare New York Pine Barrens
Long Island Pine Barrens
Sister of St. Joseph Preserve Long Island Pine Barrens Acreage
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recently announced the permanent protection of more than 43 acres of globally rare pine barrens owned by the Sisters of St. Joseph in Brentwood, in the town of Islip on Long Island.
DEC acquired a conservation easement from the Sisters and will jointly manage the property with them for groundwater and habitat protection and public access to open space in an area historically under-served by parkland. [Read more…] about Sister of St. Joseph Preserve Long Island Pine Barrens Acreage
A Regional Study of Pollinators in Barrens Habitats
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Forest Health Research Lab Manager Amanda Dillon, recently collaborated with other researchers from universities, state agencies, and environmental organizations across the Northeast to study how barrens ecosystems can support important pollinators like bees and moths. [Read more…] about A Regional Study of Pollinators in Barrens Habitats
New Trail Connects Ridge Pine Barrens to 125-Mile Paumanok Path
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the completion of a new 1,800-foot connector trail in the Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County, on Long Island between the Ridge Pine Barrens State Forest and the Paumanok Path. [Read more…] about New Trail Connects Ridge Pine Barrens to 125-Mile Paumanok Path
Long Island Pine Barrens Southern Pine Beetle Control
Crews from DEC Lands & Forests and the Central Pine Barrens Commission worked last month in the Long Island Central Pine Barrens to prevent the spread of southern pine beetle. Southern pine beetle (SPB) is a bark beetle that infests pine trees, killing a tree within 2-4 months. Since SPB was first found in Long Island in 2014, DEC has been managing the Central Pine Barrens using forest thinning and prescribed fire. [Read more…] about Long Island Pine Barrens Southern Pine Beetle Control
Pine Barrens Are Definitely Not Barren
Pine barrens are certainly piney – but they’re not the least bit barren. They were so named not because they lack life, but because colonists found them unsuitable for raising cattle or growing vegetable and grain crops. Left behind by the glaciers more than 10,000 years ago, pine barrens are characterized by sandy, acidic soil where pitch pine and scrub oak are the dominant trees. [Read more…] about Pine Barrens Are Definitely Not Barren