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Nature

At Westmoreland, an Escape from Civilization (But Not from North Castle)

June 3, 2016 by The Inside Press

Inside Armonk June WM pond 3Article and Photos By Andrew Vitelli

It’s hard to hide 640 acres–roughly a square mile–in the woods of northern Westchester. But Westmoreland Sanctuary, located on the borders of North Castle, Bedford and Mount Kisco, is as close to a hidden gem as Westchester nature lovers can hope to find in their neck of the woods.

“It’s not well known,” Ann Paul, the director of the sanctuary, explains. “We don’t have a huge budget or bandwidth to promote a lot of our programming.”

Westmoreland, established as a not-for-profit nature center and wildlife preserve in 1957, isn’t completely undiscovered; there are approximately 30,000 visitors per year to the nature center or on the 7.5 miles of trails which wind around the property. But walking through Westmoreland’s woods gives the visitor a closeness to nature hard to find on some of the area’s more popular trails.

“You have a lot of wooded area, so you have extended, mature forests,” Ms. Paul, who grew up in the Bedford area, says. “We’re not well-groomed. It’s a lot more rugged than some of the other parks.”

At Westmoreland, you may not get the soaring views of the Hudson River or Bear Mountain Bridge that hikers a bit north experience. But the trails, surrounded by thick forest, offer a sense of wilderness that is hard to find elsewhere. Even a short trek into one of the sanctuary’s dozen or so trails feels like an escape from the world around.

“It gives you that wonderful feeling that you’re farther than you actually are from civilization,” explains Steve Ricker, the Director of Conservation and Wildlife Management. “We try to keep our trails away from the edges, too, so you do still get that deep forest wilderness feeling.”

Westmoreland Sanctuary was established in 1957, by Helen Frick, a millionaire philanthropist and the daughter of steel magnate Henry Clay Frick. Some of the property’s most interesting artifacts are much older; two graveyards on the site date as far back as the 1600s, while the building which now houses the nature center and museum is a reconstructed pre-revolution church.

“It’s one of the few buildings that were not burned during the burning of Bedford in 1776 during the Revolutionary War,” Ms. Paul notes.

Westmoreland features the picturesque Bechtel Lake (see above), just a short walk from the parking lot, as well as Lost Pond, which is deeper into the woods. A range of wildlife can be found in these woods, including a variety of birds (including wild turkeys), turtles, frogs, and snakes (this reporter survived two garter snake sightings during a brief walk along the Easy Loop trail). Even bobcats, coyotes and a bear have been spotted roaming the sanctuary. For solo or groups of hikers, the Westmoreland Sanctuary offers trails of varying lengths and difficulties, while the nature center gives hikers a starting point with clean bathrooms and trail maps. But Westmoreland Sanctuary is much more than a series of trails. The sanctuary hosts programming, events, and classes for all ages, part of their mission of connecting children, parents, and the citizenry at large with the world around them.

“In the society we’re in today, a lot of people don’t have this time to come outside and they don’t know what’s safe or not safe,” Stephen Sciame, the sanctuary’s director of education, says. “So if they feel too scared to come out here themselves, they’re not going to bring their kids.”

Westmoreland has an environmental education program that dates back 30 years, developed in conjunction with New York State standards. It’s staff, though small (there are three full-time workers and a part-time bookkeeper), consists of experts with deep backgrounds in their fields. Westmoreland sees around 10,000 students each year, offering summer camps and after-school programs and working with schools and scout groups to bring children to Westmoreland. The sanctuary also hosts birthday parties, and sometimes takes its show on the road to science fairs and community events.

In July, Westmoreland will host an interactive production of The Wizard of Oz, which will allow the entire audience to walk through the sanctuary’s own Yellow Brick Road and meet their favorite characters (auditions were taking place as this magazine went to press). Other programming and events planned for this summer include a Nature Immersion Camp, a Wilderness Survival Camp, and orienteering meets (for an up-to-date list of what’s going on, visit westmorelandsanctuary.org).

Inside Armonk June WM“The idea here for our mission is to get the kids outside,” says Ms. Paul. “For those kids who would not typically get outside and would not typically spend time in the outdoors and in the woods, we’re encouraging their interest in here.”

Westmoreland is looking to expand its adult education programs. Parents who bring their kids, Sciame notes, often know less than their children about the outdoors.

“Nature has a little bit of that fear factor nowadays,” Sciame, an Eagle Scout with a Master’s Degree in Education, acknowledges. He hopes to channel the interest generated among reality T.V. watchers by shows like Man vs. Wild and Naked and Afraid to get fans of these shows to the sanctuary to learn their own survival skills (visitors will not, he clarifies, be naked).

“We’ve been using the hype that’s been generated by society to create survival-based programs, learn a little bit about natural navigation, learn about what edible foods and medicinal foods are out there, and do a quick public program on that,” he says.

Westmoreland, a public charity, is always free to visitors (though donations are accepted). While it spans three towns, it’s not affiliated with any of them. There are 14 members on its Board of Directors, on which Ms. Paul served for 15 years before becoming director.

For the staff at Westmoreland, reaching as many people as possible and exposing them to all the sanctuary and the outdoors has to offer is the ultimate goal. Ricker, who has worked at Westmoreland for 20 years, even makes an annual trip to the Children’s Center of Bedford Hills Correctional Facility with the sanctuary’s animal ambassadors.

“I want people to come and be accepted for who they are, and I don’t know that everyplace you go around here that’s true,” Ms. Paul explains. “I want people to come and do what they want.”

Andrew Vitelli is the editor of Inside Armonk magazine and also an avid, occasional hiker.

Filed Under: Armonk Cover Stories Tagged With: Inside Press, Nature, theinsidepress.com, trails, Westchester, Westmoreland Sanctuary, Wildlife

Adventures In Armonk: Walks And Hikes Right In Our Backyard

September 1, 2015 by The Inside Press

Moss-carpeted ground at the Eugene and Agnes Meyer Preserve
Moss-carpeted ground at the Eugene and Agnes Meyer Preserve

Article & Photos By Liz Susman Karp

Let the phrase “take a hike” take on a different, and far more positive meaning this fall by heading outdoors on one of the many noteworthy local hikes and walks in and around Armonk. The nearly 350 acres of parkland in North Castle feature trails for walking and hiking at all different levels and various lengths.

The Betsy Sluder Preserve offers a beautiful, easy walk in shady, leafy environs off of Old Route 22. Cat Rocks Park (Bedford), designated a nature conservancy by North Castle, is a similar spot; note parking can be difficult on the narrow roads. North Castle Superintendent of Recreation & Parks, Matt Trainor, recommends the Johnson Tract, a wooded area off of North Greenwich Road, as “a wonderful quiet hiking area.”

In the heart of downtown Armonk, meander through the paths of bucolic Wampus Brook Park for a lovely, leisurely walk. Looking for more of a challenge? Resident Jane Ellen Gertz comments, “Since the 16 years I have lived in the Whippoorwill Hills neighborhood, close to town, I have run or jogged with and without a baby jogger or walked, depending on my level of fitness, a 3-5 mile loop that takes me through town and back home again. There are various turns to make each day’s exercise a little different, including Old Mount Kisco Road, Lombardi Park, Rainbow Bridge over Interstate 684, H.C. Crittenden fields, Wampus School fields and connecting paths to Lombardi Park and Wampus Brook Park.” Trainor agrees, saying that those fields and parks “sort of interconnect, which in itself would make for a great circuit. Just a thought: If you are taking a dog–please remember to clean up!”

A well-trodden trail at the Betsy Sluder Preserve beckons to be walked.
A well-trodden trail at the Betsy Sluder Preserve beckons to be walked.

Two superb spaces in which to walk or hike are the Eugene and Agnes Meyer Preserve and the Herbert L. Nichols Preserve, both owned by the Nature Conservancy. The 247-acre Meyer Preserve, primarily donated by the former owners of The Washington Post who once lived at the nearby Seven Springs estate now owned by Donald Trump, encompasses vernal pools, rare flora and fauna and over 6.5 miles of wooded trails and fields. Enter on Bretton Ridge Rd for the western parcel or on Oregon Road for the eastern parcel. Near the Greenwich border off of Riversville Road, the 87-acre Nichols Preserve offers walking trails and several ponds and streams.

For those who prefer walking on a track, there are two available, at Byram Hills High School (Tripp Lane) when school is not in session, and at North Castle Community Park (Business Park Drive) which Trainor says, “is desirable for runners and athletes with knee issues because of its cinder base…it’s better on the joints and muscles.” The high school also has a network of paths used in season by the cross country team, and the park has a long asphalt path that runs the length of the playing fields, providing a nice walk and community atmosphere for spectators and residents.

Wide pathways run alongside the water at picturesque Wampus Brook Park.
Wide pathways run alongside the water at picturesque Wampus Brook Park.

The Bronx River Greenway, a series of disconnected paths that run parallel to the Bronx River Parkway beginning in Yonkers and ending at the Kensico Dam “to me,” says Trainor, ”unofficially connects North White Plains to the Kensico Dam Complex,” where he often takes his family. “It’s a great all-around facility and you can’t beat the view from the top of the dam.” The wide pathway at the top of this Westchester County symbol opened in May 2012. He suggests taking that trail along with the Greenway and heading south on Route 22 towards North White Plains. “The great thing here is that you can get super creative with the routes and length of walks you take, even in the more ‘urban’ settings,” enthuses Trainor.

Another popular destination close by is Cranberry Lake Preserve, a Westchester County Park in North White Plains. Trails range from 1-2.4 miles in length and include cliffs and a history trail past remnants of an early 20th century stone mining operation.

Heading farther afield, the exceptional Rockefeller State Park Preserve offers over 30 miles of specially-designed wide interconnected carriage roads past rolling hills and picturesque scenery for easy to moderate walks. Trail maps are available online and at the Preserve office, entrance on Phelps Way in Pleasantville.

North Castle Seniors Nellie Palamarczuk (left) and Faye Barresi (right) walk with Liz Thomas (center), North Castle Senior Recrea- tion Leader, in Wampus Brook Park. Senior walks are regularly scheduled on Mondays and Thursdays at 10 a.m.
North Castle Seniors Nellie Palamarczuk (left) and Faye Barresi (right) walk with Liz Thomas (center), North Castle Senior Recrea- tion Leader, in Wampus Brook Park. Senior walks are regularly scheduled on Mondays and Thursdays at 10 a.m.

A recent thread on Facebook’s Armonk Moms page discussed additional prime spots frequented by locals, including Westmoreland and Butler Sanctuaries (Mount Kisco), the Mianus River Gorge Preserve (Bedford), Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, the county’s largest park (Pound Ridge), and Audobon Greenwich. The Zofnass Family Preserve, also in Pound Ridge, offers a family Westchester Wilderness Walk. The Westchester County Parks website (parks.westchestergov.com) and numerous books, such as Walkable Westchester, are excellent resources.

To join organized hikes in the county and surrounding areas, local groups available include Westchester Trails Association (www.westhike.org), New York-New Jersey Trail Conference (www.nynjtc.org), The Westchester Hiking Meetup Group (www.meetup.com/Westchester-Hiking-Group) and the Facebook group, Bedford Castle Baby Trails, which plans monthly family hikes.

Remember to wear proper footgear, use bug spray, bring water and check for ticks! Whether your preference is for a walk or a hike, living in Armonk provides abundant opportunities for a pleasant pastime or invigorating exercise while enjoying the natural beauty of our area.

Liz Susman Karp is a freelance writer and public relations practitioner. She, her husband and their two teenage boys live in Briarcliff Manor. They all look forward to trying some new walks and hikes.

Filed Under: Armonk Cover Stories Tagged With: Armonk, hiking, Inside Press, Nature, outdoors, theinsidepress.com

Contributing to the Beauty of our Town

March 4, 2015 by Sarah Ellen Rindsberg

Many factors contribute to the charm of our town. Friendly shopkeepers, delicious eateries and cultural events are but a few. Next time you’re downtown, view the area through a different lens, that of nature. Concentrate on the greenery and blossoms which truly enhance the wooded landscape. Several of these commercial area focal points reflect the vision and dedication of one exceptionally talented member of our community, Julie Greco.

We caught up with Julie Greco, independent landscape designer and the proud creator of the beautiful Pocket Park On North Greeley Avenue in downtown Chappaqua.
We caught up with Julie Greco, independent landscape designer and the proud creator of the beautiful Pocket Park On North Greeley Avenue in downtown Chappaqua.

After moving here at age five, Ms. Greco’s passion for nature began to flourish. The strong interest in gardening imparted from her mother and grandmother helped create the foundation of her livelihood today as an independent landscape designer. Flower and vegetable plots were an integral part of her childhood. Extended family nurtured her passion, stopping by laden with plants from their own 
gardens as gifts.

Donating her time and expertise is her way of giving back. During her 13-year tenure in the Chappaqua Garden Club, she served as chair of landscape design and chair of civic improvement. In addition, the Beautification Advisory Board has been graced by her presence as an active member.

When the town asked Ms. Greco to redesign the Pocket Park (the term connoting a space closed on three sides, open on one), she felt “honored” by the request. As a volunteer, she designed and developed the project from “inception to dedication” and continues to do so, maintaining the look and feel. The space harbors a special place in her heart, especially when she sees a mother pause to show her child, “the tile that mommy made,” in the mosaic on the southern wall.

The Pocket Park, nestled to the left of the row of buildings that includes Susan Lawrence on North Greeley Avenue, is to Chappaqua what the stately clock is to Grand Central. “Meet you at the Pocket Park,” is a common refrain.

Appreciation of the Pocket Park is accessible in any season. This is a reflection of Ms. Greco’s eye for elements that provide “texture and color, even when nothing’s in bloom.”

“Rhythm and contrast” are the omnipresent keys to year-round beauty. Foliage on the PJM rhododendron turns burgundy in winter. Spring brings soft hues of blue and yellow from flowering bulbs.

Residents linger, savoring the sanctuary. Birds perch in the birch tree and bunnies scamper underneath the shrubbery. Appreciation of the park is not limited to the aforementioned; it is also listed in the esteemed Garden Conservancy Catalog.

Evidence of her touch also appears in the triangle at the intersection of routes 117 and 120 at the top of King Street. This patch features extremely hardly plants, capable of withstanding the heat of the sun and the salt on the roads in wintertime. Ornamental grasses, waving in the breeze, are interspersed with red carpet roses and perennial salvia, adding vivid color.

To contact Julie Greco write to gardenkeeperjg@earthlink.net. For more information about beautification projects around town, contact the New Castle Recreation and Parks Commission at 238-3909.

Sarah Ellen Rindsberg, who very much admires great landscape design, is a frequent contributor to Inside Chappaqua and Inside Armonk magazines.

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: Chappaqua Garden Club, Gardening, Landscape, Nature, The Pocket Park

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