As the trails rest for the winter in the Mianus River Gorge Preserve and Taylor Preserve, MRG staff continue their work to advance important land and water protection efforts throughout the region.
We kicked off 2025 with a First Day Hike at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 1. While the trails are closed for their winter rest, we opened them for this special occasion to celebrate Mianus River Gorge’s 70th anniversary. It turned out to be perfect conditions for a chilly, but comfortable walk to the end of the trail and back (5 mi.). Director of Land Management Budd Veverka led the hike and talked about the current and future stewardship projects he oversees in the Preserve. We look forward to getting back out there this Spring to continue work on the Trailhead Interpretive Loop that includes a new wildlife viewing pavilion.
Our big project is the new stewardship barn that we’re building on the parcel containing the home of the Director of Land Management. The one-story post-and-beam barn is 26’ x 36’ plus an 18’x 36’ loft that will provide 1,584 sq. ft. of floor space.
The barn will help alleviate the overcrowded storage conditions of the Gibb House headquarters, which has housed all MRG management, administration, and staff as well as materials and supplies for land management for 37 years.
The barn will allow MRG to efficiently consolidate equipment, supplies, and programmatic materials currently housed in seven different locations. There will be room for a flatbed trailer, a utility vehicle, and field mowing equipment. The space will include a much-needed workshop for land management staff. In addition to the barn, we hope to make headway on adding new space for staff in 2025.
MRG staff accepted a new class of high school Wildlife Technician Program (WTP) students who will begin a three-year course of ecology study. Mentored by MRG wildlife biologists, these students will engage in hands-on fieldwork, data collection and analysis, and, in their senior year, present their findings at the Northeast Natural History Conference and other science fairs. We continue to be impressed by the quality of the students from high schools across the region who apply to this award-winning program.
Executive Director Rod Christie has been consulting with landowners to help them develop a plan for responsible stewardship of their own parcels. He is working with donors and community partners throughout the region to facilitate the purchase or gift of land and/or conservation easements. Rod continues to share his knowledge and expertise with local and regional organizations whose work amplifies the Mianus River Gorge’s mission. This winter, he is putting the finishing touches on an upcoming presentation for the Perrot Library and the Garden Club of Old Greenwich.
The main task that we work on when indoors is identifying coyotes (date, time, location) on the array of wildlife cameras deployed across Westchester, Bronx, and New York City. Gotham Coyote Project co-founder and Director of Research & Education Chris Nagy, Ph.D., is monitoring coyote populations and behavior in urban environments. In another project involving wildlife cameras, Preserve Steward Jean-Luc Plante is mentoring a current WTP student to identify black bears and study their movements throughout the region.
Budd and Jean-Luc Plante are outside as much as possible no matter what the weather. They’re checking property boundaries, cutting woody stemmed invasive shrubs and vines, and repairing deer exclosures (fencing to keep deer out) within the Preserve. They are also quick to remove from the trails trees and limbs downed by winter storms both in the main Preserve and at the Taylor Preserve in Stamford, CT.
We are finalizing the 2025 Calendar of Events, which will soon be available here on our web site, www.mianus.org. MRG’s popular walks feature the ecology and natural history of different habitats throughout the area and their importance to the health and resilience of the Mianus River Watershed. Other events include the ever-popular Bird Walk, Owl Walks, and Winter Tree ID.
Enjoy the rest of your winter, and we’ll look forward to seeing you in the spring!