News
Ward Pound Ridge Reservation Launches 100-Mile Hike Challenge
Celebrate Ward Pound Ridge Reservation’s 100-Year Anniversary with a 100-Mile Hike. Ward Pound Ridge Reservation will celebrate its 100th year in 2025 and, to kick things off, is launching a 100-Mile Hike Challenge in which entrants aim to hike 100 miles at the park by May 7, 2025. Registration is required
Until Next Time
by Mindy Quintero Six and a half years sure have flown by! I arrived at Trailside Nature Museum excited and overwhelmed with the idea of managing the oldest and busiest county nature center. The museum is held to high standards and I wasn’t sure how I was going to fill
Notes from the Friends of Trailside President
by Philip Petronis, Board President Dear Friends: This is a time of transition for the Friends of the Trailside Museum. We are transitioning into spring with all the pleasure it brings (although the pollen has been especially tough this year.) It seems ages ago now, but we have left our
Sweetest Season’s Summary
by Leah Cass As the snow fell and chilly winds blew from January-March, we were warm in the sugar house making winter’s sweetest treat! It was another successful sugaring season here at Trailside, and all said and done, we produced eight gallons of syrup from about 600 gallons of sap.
Legends and Lore of the Pink Lady Slipper
by Robyn Graygor Finding a Pink Lady Slipper may spark a yearning for cozier shoes than your rigid hiking boots. It does, after all, resemble a tiny magenta moccasin. The Lady Slipper (Cypripedium acaule) is one of 58 wild orchids found in the northern hemisphere. Standing six to fifteen inches
Animal Profile: Wood Turtle
by Patrick Harmon Spring finally makes its debut with flowers blooming and trees growing their leaves, the landscape transforms into an emerald wonderland as plants come back to life. With the return of such greenery we also see the re-emergence of countless mammals, amphibi-ans, insects, and reptiles. One of these
The Next Curator
by Mindy Quintero You may be wondering by now who the next curator of Trailside Nature Museum will be. It is my pleasure to introduce Danniela Ciatto as your next curator. Danniela is coming to us from Cranberry Lake Preserve and has been with the county since 2002. I’ve known
The American Beech Tree and Beech Leaf Disease
by Felix Gonzalez The American Beech Tree, Fagus grandifolia, is a native deciduous tree found abundantly in New York and the surrounding areas of the Northeastern United States. The native range of American Beech encompasses a portion of North America ranging from Illinois, south to Georgia, and north to Nova
Weeding Out Invasives One Bite at a Time!
by Robyn Graygor Seasoned foragers from far and wide seek out nature’s treats within the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, and it’s about time we give back to this oasis of plentiful goodies. If you hike the winding trails within our reservation, you may have come across people walking with baskets
Welcome!
It is our pleasure to introduce our new naturalist, Leah Cass. Learn a little more about Leah, in her own words: Hello! My name is Leah Cass and the new naturalist here at Trailside. I am a recent graduate of George Washington University where I double majored in Biology and
Animal Profile: Groundhog
by Leah Cass Groundhog day is rapidly approaching when famed groundhog Punxsutawney Phil will issue his prediction on the changing of the seasons. Legend says he will either see his shadow and retreat into his den, condemning us to six more weeks of Winter, or he will emerge shadowless, signaling
Notes from the Friends of Trailside President
by Philip Petronis, Board President Our annual meeting was held Saturday, December 11. In attendance, in addition to our Board and our Trailside Museum curator, Mindy Swope Quintero, were Jeff Main, the Supervisor of Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, and Taro Ietaka, the Supervisor of our county curators, and Dan Aitchison,
View from the Porch
by Jeff Main As we enter a new year, we look forward to some of the social restrictions giving way to opportunities for interacting with you, our Reservation visiting community. While the Res did provide a place to get outside and enjoy some fresh air, we also sense the desire,
Attack of the Lanternflies: Dogs to the Rescue
by Taro letaka For a human, finding a small object in a large area is dependent on luck and good eyesight. But for a dog, a sniff is enough to do it. The TSA and DEA have been using dogs to sniff for narcotics and explosives for years, and now
Notes from the Friends of the Trailside President
Philip Petronis, Board President Dear Friends and neighbors: On all our behalf, I would like to give A GREAT BIG THANK YOU to the County for keeping open our Ward Pound Ridge Reservation during the first months of the Covid pandemic. In the face of so much uncertainty it made