There’s a new nature sanctuary in Onondaga County. The Nature Conservancy has acquired more than 200 acres of undeveloped land along the Seneca River in Baldwinsville.
It’s rare to have large and intact flood plain lands close to a metropolitan area, according to Jim Howe of the Central and Western New York Chapter of Nature Conservancy. But that’s exactly what this stretch of land on along the Seneca River is.
"The total acreage is about 225,” Howe says. “But the real beauty of it is the two miles of river frontage. River habitats are some of the richest we have.”
The Timber Banks Golf Club and Marina, which had already created a recreational path among the trees and streams, donated the property to the Nature Conservancy. Ownership of the land will provide additional access to the tract (including spur trails to the river) as well as allow the conservancy to keep the land natural.
“In most managed forests, a tree that dies is cut down and removed for timber. But in an unmanaged forest or protected area, a dead tree stays up, and it provides all kinds of habitats for woodpeckers or mammals the use cavities, whether it’s a raccoon or a pileated woodpecker,” Howe says.
The ecological values of the land are illustrated by bird diversity discovered by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, notes Howe.
"Wood thrush is a very famous bird; it’s got this beautiful flutelike call,” Howe says. “There were 15 or 16 nesting in here -- pairs nesting in here. And the blue gray gnatcatcher, the same numbers. And these are species that are in decline right now in North America. So having a safe haven for them -- very important.”
Also important is the fact that the property is a wetland. It’s an issue nearby homeowners can appreciate, considering that the seven eastern Finger Lakes and Onondaga Lake drain into the river as it makes its way to the Oswego River and eventually Lake Ontario.
"They absorb water during storm events and can therefore buffer our communities and save people and property,” says Howe. “So having a safety valve for the river to overflow to during high water events -- really important.”
The Nature Conservancy is currently raising money to construct trails, signs and other infrastructure at the new Seneca River Preserve. Howe expects the area could become a popular destination for nature lovers. He envisions the future of the preserve:
“Maybe a little platform out there. People can fish maybe even a little docking station, there’s a lot of kayaks and canoes and small boats that use this river.”
Seneca River Preserve, Baldwinsville, New York
