Woodlawn Preserve
Encyclopedia
The Woodlawn Preserve is the only patch of the Albany Pine Bush in the city of Schenectady
, New York
's Woodlawn
neighborhood; it is home to some of the most biologically diverse parcels in Schenectady County
due to the combination of swamp, wetlands, water bodies, and dune vegetation.
butterfly habitat, there are no current populations of the endangered species there. The preserve and neighboring lands in the town of Niskayuna are part of the Woodlawn Pine Barrens-Wetlands Complex, which is recognized by the state of New York's Open Space Conservation Plan as a priority conservation project.
and numerous rare plants. It is the largest passive park
in the city of Schenectady.
The city has been approached by developers many times regarding purchasing the land in order to build housing. Once, in 1993, 88 acres (35.6 ha) were requested in order for housing developments
to be built, with an extra 27 acres (10.9 ha) to be developed as a park. This caused an outcry by members of the Concerned Citizens to Save the Woodlawn Preserve organization, who argued that such development contradicted the intent and purpose of establishing a nature preserve. In 2003 the Forever Wild status was still intact on the 135 acre (0.5463261 km²) but was again threatened by another offer of $196,000 for 196 plots.
A Quality Communities Grant was awarded to Schenectady in 2007 to promote the "preservation and beautification" of the Preserve. This coincided with the Preserve being added to the New York Open Space Conservation Plan. In 2008, a five year plan was developed between the city and the state to organize the improvement of the Preserve.
In 2009, Schenectady County created 24 acres (9.7 ha) of protected parkland in Niskayuna within the Woodlawn Pine Barrens-Wetlands Complex, which was then deeded to the town. This was considered an important step in linking the Woodlawn Preserve and the Albany Pine Bush Preserve.
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's Woodlawn
Woodlawn, Schenectady, New York
Woodlawn is a neighborhood of Schenectady, New York and occupies the entire southeastern section of that city. The neighborhood developed as a suburb of the city of Schenectady in the first two decades of the 20th century and was annexed to the city in 1923...
neighborhood; it is home to some of the most biologically diverse parcels in Schenectady County
Schenectady County, New York
Schenectady County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 154,727. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Schenectady. The name is from a Mohawk Indian word meaning "on the other side of the...
due to the combination of swamp, wetlands, water bodies, and dune vegetation.
Description
The low-lying areas of the preserve are wetlands while the higher portions are pitch pine-scrub oak barrens with some of the largest sand dunes found in the Albany Pine Bush. While the preserve has traditionally been a Karner BlueKarner Blue
The Karner Blue, Lycaeides melissa samuelis, is a small, blue butterfly found in small areas of New Jersey, the Great Lakes region, southern New Hampshire, and the Capital District region of New York. The butterfly, whose lifecycle depends on the wild blue lupine flower , is classified as an...
butterfly habitat, there are no current populations of the endangered species there. The preserve and neighboring lands in the town of Niskayuna are part of the Woodlawn Pine Barrens-Wetlands Complex, which is recognized by the state of New York's Open Space Conservation Plan as a priority conservation project.
History
The preserve was created by the city in 1969 as 135 acres (54.6 ha) of forever wild land, and is home to the headwaters of the Lisha KillKill (body of water)
As a body of water, a kill is a creek. The word comes from the Middle Dutch kille, meaning "riverbed" or "water channel." The modern Dutch term is kil....
and numerous rare plants. It is the largest passive park
Urban wild
An urban wild is a remnant of a natural ecosystem found in the midst of an otherwise highly developed urban area.-Utility:Urban wilds, particularly those of several acres or more, are often intact ecological systems that can provide essential ecosystem functions such as the filtering of urban...
in the city of Schenectady.
The city has been approached by developers many times regarding purchasing the land in order to build housing. Once, in 1993, 88 acres (35.6 ha) were requested in order for housing developments
Subdivision (land)
Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known in the United States as a subdivision...
to be built, with an extra 27 acres (10.9 ha) to be developed as a park. This caused an outcry by members of the Concerned Citizens to Save the Woodlawn Preserve organization, who argued that such development contradicted the intent and purpose of establishing a nature preserve. In 2003 the Forever Wild status was still intact on the 135 acre (0.5463261 km²) but was again threatened by another offer of $196,000 for 196 plots.
A Quality Communities Grant was awarded to Schenectady in 2007 to promote the "preservation and beautification" of the Preserve. This coincided with the Preserve being added to the New York Open Space Conservation Plan. In 2008, a five year plan was developed between the city and the state to organize the improvement of the Preserve.
In 2009, Schenectady County created 24 acres (9.7 ha) of protected parkland in Niskayuna within the Woodlawn Pine Barrens-Wetlands Complex, which was then deeded to the town. This was considered an important step in linking the Woodlawn Preserve and the Albany Pine Bush Preserve.
Other notable pine barrens
- Long Island Central Pine BarrensLong Island Central Pine BarrensThe Long Island Central Pine Barrens is a large area of publicly protected pine barrens in Suffolk County, New York, on Long Island, covering more than ....
- Rome Sand PlainsRome Sand PlainsRome Sand Plains is a pine barrens consisting of a mosaic of sand dunes extending about above low peat bogs that lie between the dunes. The barrens are covered with mixed northern hardwood forests, meadows, and wetlands. The sand plains are about west of the city center of Rome, New York, which...
- Pine Barrens (New Jersey)Pine Barrens (New Jersey)The Pine Barrens, also known as the Pinelands, is a heavily forested area of coastal plain stretching across southern New Jersey. The name "pine barrens" refers to the area's sandy, acidic, nutrient-poor soil, to which the crops originally imported by European settlers didn't take well...