Outdoor Observer

Change is sometimes good… or at least not all bad By Rod Christie, Mianus River Gorge Executive Director October 6, 2021 The Eastern Forest of North America has undergone great change since 45% of the US was covered in old-growth forest. The Eastern Forest of North America has undergone great change since 45% of the […]

Planting in the Preserve

MRG’s restoration garden was a success right from the start. Starting in 2016, Rod Christie spent many hours collecting seeds from local wildflower stock and planting them in raised beds with covers to protect plants from chipmunks and other predators. Once mature, these plants were then used as seed and plant sources for a wide […]

Trail Maintenance, Restoration, & Stewardship

On arguably the hottest day this summer, Director of Land Management Budd Veverka, Preserve Steward Jean-Luc Plante, and Summer Intern Leah Cass set out to do a major trail maintenance project. Their task was to build new steps on a steep part of the trail, just south of the Overlook, to improve footing and minimize […]

Jim Todd Land pond along MRR

Saving the Jim Todd Land

For 68 years Mianus River Gorge has been protecting land, keeping it forever wild, and working to conserve healthy ecosystems that contribute to the clean air and water we all enjoy. The land under MRG’s protection and stewardship has grown from 60 acres to over 1,100 acres since our founding in 1953. Now, Mianus River […]

Volunteers Making a Difference

It takes a great deal of effort to maintain the Mianus River Gorge and Taylor Preserves and their trails for visitors. MRG staff does what it can, but the stewardship staff is small. That’s why it is so important to have volunteers to help, particularly early in the season when we are cleaning up from […]

Riparian Corridor Restoration Project Update

May 3, 2021–Healthy riparian zones are crucial to the health of watersheds such as the Mianus River Watershed. Riparian buffers and wetlands help dissipate floodwaters, recharge groundwater supplies, filter out pollution, provide fish and wildlife habitat, and sustain the health of downstream water sources. The healthier the riparian zones, the better job they do at […]

Mianus River Gorge Awarded Stewardship & Resource Management Grant

The Riparian Corridor Restoration grant project is supported with funding from the New York State Conservation Partnership Program (NYSCPP) and New York’s Environmental Protection Fund. The NYSCPP is administered by the Land Trust Alliance, in coordination with the state Department of Environmental Conservation. The Mianus River and its tributaries form a riparian corridor that is […]

Lower Hudson PRISM Partnership

The Mianus River Gorge is one of over 50 partners across the region that make up the Lower Hudson Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM). The mission of this partnership is to protect the rich biodiversity and ecosystems of the Lower Hudson region through partnerships and collaborations that focus on controlling the introduction, spread, […]

Forested Riparian Corridor Restoration

The Mianus River and its tributaries form a riparian corridor that is vital for wildlife and whose health and function contribute to a clean drinking water supply for over one hundred thousand. MRG aims to repair and improve the functional ability of this riparian buffer to filter and prevent water contamination by removing detrimental invasive […]

The Young Forest

The final component of the Save the Hemlocks initiative is to improve the health and buffering ability of the younger forest that surrounds the Mianus River Gorge old-growth forest. Mianus River Gorge Preserve (MRGP) is a linear preserve and past agricultural activities came very close to the core old-growth forest. As pasturelands and farm fields […]