About Teatown Lake Reservation
Teatown Lake Reservation: A Nature Preserve and Environmental Education Center
Teatown Lake Reservation is a nonprofit nature preserve and environmental education center located in the Lower Hudson Valley. The organization was founded in 1963 with the mission to inspire our community to lifelong environmental stewardship. Today, Teatown spans over 1,000 acres of protected land and offers a variety of educational programs, events, and activities for people of all ages.
At Teatown, visitors can explore miles of hiking trails that wind through diverse habitats such as forests, meadows, wetlands, and streams. These trails offer opportunities for birdwatching, wildlife observation, plant identification, and outdoor recreation. Some popular trails include the Lakeside Trail which circles around Teatown Lake offering scenic views of the water; the Hidden Valley Trail which leads hikers through a secluded valley filled with wildflowers; and the Cliffdale Farm Trail which passes by historic farm buildings dating back to the 1800s.
In addition to hiking trails, Teatown also has several gardens that showcase native plants and pollinators. The Wildflower Island Garden is a unique feature that can be accessed by boat or kayak from Teatown Lake's boat launch area. This garden is home to over 100 species of wildflowers that bloom throughout the spring and summer months attracting butterflies and other pollinators.
One of Teatown's main focuses is on environmental education. They offer year-round programs for schools ranging from pre-K through college level as well as public programs for families and adults. These programs cover topics such as ecology, conservation biology, climate change mitigation/adaptation strategies among others.
Teaching children about nature at an early age helps them develop an appreciation for their environment while also instilling important values like respect for living things & sustainability practices into their lives early on so they become responsible citizens who care about preserving natural resources.
The organization also hosts special events throughout the year such as their annual EagleFest celebration in February where visitors can learn about bald eagles' habitat needs while watching live eagle shows or taking guided tours along Hudson River viewing sites where eagles are known to congregate during winter months when food sources are scarce elsewhere due to ice formation on rivers/lakes etc., making it easier prey hunting grounds than usual times when they migrate southward towards warmer climates like Florida or Mexico etc.,
Another popular event at Teatown is their PlantFest held every May where visitors can purchase native plants grown onsite by volunteers who propagate them from seeds collected locally within Westchester County area ensuring genetic diversity & adaptability traits suited best under local climatic conditions rather than importing exotic species not adapted well enough here leading eventually invasive species problems later down line if not controlled properly beforehand via proper management practices implemented beforehand before planting anything new into ecosystem areas already established there already without any prior knowledge/assessment done beforehand regarding potential impacts upon existing flora/fauna present there already before introducing anything new into mix without proper planning ahead first!
Overall,Teteown Lake Reservation provides an excellent opportunity for people interested in exploring nature while learning more about conservation efforts being made locally within Westchester County area today!