We visit many places during the course of a field season. We take notes at many of these sites. Most of those notes are squirreled away in our over-stuffed filing cabinets, to be processed and analyzed during the next winter, and the information then gets shared in “digested form” in research reports and popular writing. However, occasionally we compile more detailed ecological descriptions of a particular place. Here are some examples of site-specific ecological descriptions we have prepared for a variety of public areas, for a working farm, and for an interesting wetland complex that is largely in private ownership. If you wish to explore on private land, please make sure to first seek permission from the landowner.
Ecological Descriptions of Public Areas
Pollinator Meadow in Chatham – a brief summary with photographic documentation, seed list, and list of plants growing in the meadow in third year (2023) after seeding.
Art Omi – a habitat map and brief general description of the habitats found at The Fields Sculpture Park at Art Omi International Arts Center in Ghent, compiled in May 2007
Schor – an ecological description, including a habitat map and photo essay of the Schor Conservation Area in Canaan, compiled for the Columbia Land Conservancy in January 2009
Round Ball – an ecological description, including a habitat map and preliminary plant list of the Round Ball Conservation Area in Ancram, compiled for the Columbia Land Conservancy in November 2009
High Falls – an ecological description including a habitat map, lists of plants, birds, herpetofauna, ants, and ground beetles, and photo essay of the High Falls Conservation Area in Philmont, compiled for the Columbia Land Conservancy in December 2013
Roeliff-Jansen-Park – preliminary plant list from participatory natural resource inventories conducted in 2008 and 2009 and a map of the studied habitats
Blog Postings about Public Areas
Sunset Rock in Taconic State Park, Copake “Highlights from an Ecology Walk through the Oak-Heath Barrens of Taconic SP in Copake, NY” (posted 14 June 2015)
Hand Hollow State Forest, New Lebanon “Some Background History of the Hand Hollow State Forest” (posted 12 Feb. 2019)
Ecological Description of Working Farms
Hawthorne Valley Farm – an early summary of habitats and management on and around Hawthorne Valley Farm compiled in 2006
Roxbury Farm – an ecological description with special emphasis on biodiversity conservation and agroecological considerations, including habitat maps and management ideas compiled for Roxbury Farm in Kinderhook in February 2008
Ecological Description of Private Land
Shaker Swamp – an ecological description, including habitat map, annotated plant and animal lists, and a photo essay for this large wetland complex in New Lebanon compiled for the Shaker Swamp Conservancy in 2012