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
Pine Barrens
A New Native Species Selection Tool
Are you looking for recommendations of native plants and trees to plant on your specific site? DEC and the New York Natural Heritage Program recently released a Species Selection Tool that provides a list of recommended native tree, shrub, and herbaceous plant species, including flowering species, ferns and herbs, to improve habitats, increase biodiversity, and benefit wildlife across New York State. [Read more…] about A New Native Species Selection Tool
Watchable Wildlife: Chaumont Barrens Preserve
One of the last and finest examples of alvar grasslands in the world, Chaumont Barrens Preserve is a one-of-a-kind destination in New York State.
Featuring a unique landscape with flat, rocky terrain of grasslands, limestone woodlands, cedar forests, pavement barrens, and globally rare plant communities, Chaumont Barrens is home to a mosaic of natural and remarkable wonders. [Read more…] about Watchable Wildlife: Chaumont Barrens Preserve
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
RCA Central & Rocky Point’s Hallock Family Homestead
The Hallock Family Homestead and Museum is believed to be the oldest structure in the north-shore hamlet of Rocky Point, in Suffolk County, Long Island. According to Brookhaven architect and historian David Griffin:
“The Hallock family purchased the land to build their somewhat lavish home in 1720. The two-story house is a splendid piece of English neoclassical Georgian architecture. Balance and symmetry are the key to understanding every part and parcel of its harmonious design.” [Read more…] about RCA Central & Rocky Point’s Hallock Family Homestead
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
Big Bend Preserve, An 860-Acre Addition to Moreau State Park
The new Big Bend Preserve in Saratoga County, NY is now open to the public. Roughly the size of Central Park in New York City, this 860-acre addition to Moreau Lake State Park makes the park one of the ten largest in the State Parks system. [Read more…] about Big Bend Preserve, An 860-Acre Addition to Moreau State Park
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
Altona Flat Rock: Fires, Berries and Concrete
Altona Flat Rock is a large area of discontinuous bare sandstone pine barrens that stretches along the Champlain Valley into Quebec. Gazing at the rock formations, visitors to the area can easily imagine the long-forgotten retreat of glacial ice from the Champlain Valley. The area is home to the rare ecosystem of jack pine barrens.
Locals recall wildfires on Altona Flat Rock with anxiety, but the jack pines require fire. The heat of fire opens the pitched covered cones allowing the barren to reproduce. Fire on Altona Flat Rock is a curse and a blessing. [Read more…] about Altona Flat Rock: Fires, Berries and Concrete
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