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Saturday, November 22nd • 7:30-9:30AM
Join young birder and naturalist Arabella P. for a morning of birding adventures at the historic West Point Foundry Preserve, a forest-marsh ecosystem that is replete with history. In the wake of the War of 1812, West Point Foundry, ideally situated next to the Hudson River and abundant sources of iron ore, became a manufacturer of ordnance, steam engines, industrial equipment, and America’s first locomotives. Over the years, it earned a reputation as a preeminent maker of cannons, one which it maintained as it supplied Union troops with cannons, including the Parrott rifle, during the Civil War. In the aftermath of the Civil War, as the demand for weaponry waned and the United States economy underwent a transformation, West Point Foundry struggled and eventually ceased its operations in the early 1900s.
With the disappearance of industry, nature, thankfully, returned to the area. Nestled in a tranquil ravine, today’s West Point Foundry is comprised of approximately 87 acres of forested land that is adjacent to a tidal marsh, which serves as an ideal habitat for a variety of flora and fauna alike. At this time of year, with such a diverse ecosystem we can expect to find everything from Song, American Tree, and White-throated Sparrows, Marsh and Winter Wrens, to Great Blue Herons, Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Hermit Thrushes, Yellow-rumped, Wilson's, Black-and-white, and Palm Warblers, and Brown Creepers. Waterfowl species, including Lesser Scaups, Ring-necked Ducks, Wood Ducks, Mallards, and American Black Ducks can also be expected. And, if the winds are right, who knows what we might find making its way across the Hudson. Plan on meeting at the parking lot at the entrance to the trails-https://maps.app.goo.gl/Y8uJ3aRUEGdkbmLm7?g_st=ipc.
Saturday, November 22nd • 7:30-9:30AM
Join young birder and naturalist Arabella P. for a morning of birding adventures at the historic West Point Foundry Preserve, a forest-marsh ecosystem that is replete with history. In the wake of the War of 1812, West Point Foundry, ideally situated next to the Hudson River and abundant sources of iron ore, became a manufacturer of ordnance, steam engines, industrial equipment, and America’s first locomotives. Over the years, it earned a reputation as a preeminent maker of cannons, one which it maintained as it supplied Union troops with cannons, including the Parrott rifle, during the Civil War. In the aftermath of the Civil War, as the demand for weaponry waned and the United States economy underwent a transformation, West Point Foundry struggled and eventually ceased its operations in the early 1900s.
With the disappearance of industry, nature, thankfully, returned to the area. Nestled in a tranquil ravine, today’s West Point Foundry is comprised of approximately 87 acres of forested land that is adjacent to a tidal marsh, which serves as an ideal habitat for a variety of flora and fauna alike. At this time of year, with such a diverse ecosystem we can expect to find everything from Song, American Tree, and White-throated Sparrows, Marsh and Winter Wrens, to Great Blue Herons, Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Hermit Thrushes, Yellow-rumped, Wilson's, Black-and-white, and Palm Warblers, and Brown Creepers. Waterfowl species, including Lesser Scaups, Ring-necked Ducks, Wood Ducks, Mallards, and American Black Ducks can also be expected. And, if the winds are right, who knows what we might find making its way across the Hudson. Plan on meeting at the parking lot at the entrance to the trails-https://maps.app.goo.gl/Y8uJ3aRUEGdkbmLm7?g_st=ipc.