July 22, 2020 Needless to say, the summer of 2020 is unlike any other. Mianus River Gorge and the Preserve had their ups and downs when the season opened with a surge of visitors desperate to get out of the house. Today, MRG is glad to provide the community with a peaceful, restorative experience on […]
This past spring, we completed treatment of our eastern hemlocks to protect them from hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA). The hemlock woolly adelgid is a small aphid-like invasive forest pest that lives, feeds, and reproduces exclusively on hemlocks. The insect kills the buds on infested branches, preventing new growth and eventually killing the tree. We treated […]
The 935-acre Mianus River Gorge comprises an array of habitats, including meadows, flood-plain forest, wetlands, post-agricultural forest, and over 100 acres of old-growth forest. Invasive species enter these managed habitats via several pathways, the primary route being at the interface between forest and meadow edges. The new project, funded in part by a generous grant […]
By Jennifer J. LernerSenior Resource Educator, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Putnam County Here in the Hudson Valley, we have weathered waves of invasion . . . Insect invasion that is. Think of the multicolored Asian lady beetle buzzing around your house, soon replaced by the brown marmorated stinkbug dive-bombing your reading light at night. The […]
Outdoor Observer by Rod Christie, Executive Director Driving around at this time of year one gets a chance to look into the forest and view firsthand the changing of the northeast landscape. Forest trees are getting older (the better to store carbon), fields are growing into forests as farms are no longer in production and […]
A major component of the Mianus River Gorge strategic management plan is invasive species control. The task of eradicating invasive vines, plants, and other pests, such as the hemlock woolly adelgid, seems endless. However, MRG remains optimistic that many can and will be controlled, and others may become naturalized over time. In the meantime, Mianus […]
MRG’s Budd Veverka led an enjoyable and informative walk through Mianus River Gorge Preserve to help participants learn to identify trees by their bark, leaves, and fruit. Budd helped us answer some of these questions: 1. Which native species is allopathic, sending out a poison of sorts to discourage other trees from growing in its […]
Non-native flora can also be called alien, invasive, or exotic, each having a slightly different meaning. In effect, non-native plants are those that have established themselves in area from outside its native range. They move around with people as a result of immigration, migration, and trade. In their new homes, they can have a multitude […]
The Importance of Wetlands Some people don’t think of wetlands in a positive way, if they think of wetlands at all. They may think the words swamp, bog, and marsh—all wetlands–have a negative connotation, and completely overlook the immense value of wetlands and the countless benefits they provide. But wetlands are a vital resource and […]