Lewisboro’s Leon Levy Preserve to Mark Earth Day

LEWISBORO, N.Y. – The Westchester Land Trust will hold an Earth Day celebration at the Leon Levy Preserve in Lewisboro from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

The Land Trust will kick off its new Take a Hike series with a guided naturalist hike through the preserve. Take a Hike will consist of nine monthly hikes led by an experienced naturalist and educator, the trust said. Hikers will learn about the secrets of vernal pools as shelters for amphibians and insects and how to identify native birds and other important species. At Sunday’s event, hikers will also be invited to assist in spring clean-up. 

The Leon Levy Preserve is a varied 400-acre preserve of mature woodlands and rugged terrain and contains extensive wetlands, which help protect New York City’s drinking water, the trust said. The preserve is owned by the town of Lewisboro and was identified by the town’s Conservation Advisory Committee as one of its most important properties for preservation. In 2005, the town purchased the preserve with the help of Westchester Land Trust, which assisted in obtaining funding from private foundations and the NYC Department of Environmental Protection.

A plan for the creation of a nature preserve was later drafted with the help of various town boards and councils, Westchester Land Trust, Westchester County Parks, Bedford Audubon Society, Lake Kitchawan Association, Lewisboro Land Trust and the Lewisboro Horseman’s Association. Much of the preserve management plan will be implemented over the summer through efforts of an internship sponsored by the Jerome Levy Foundation, the trust said.

The program is free and registration is recommended. Go to www.westchesterlandtrust.org for registration and detailed event information, including directions and parking.

 

 

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