Nissequogue Preserve

In 1998 William H. Crocker donated the fee title of a 16.2 acre property to the Trust. The Nissequogue Preserve located along the Nissequogue River in Smithtown was created. The Trust previously held a conservation easement on the land, preventing development on this ecologically important parcel. 

Considering its river-front location and the high level of development surrounding the preserve, it's an important open space parcel for preservation. Adding to its conservation values, the preserve is contiguous to land owned by the Town of Smithtown (35.2 acres) to the north and Suffolk County PDR lands (20 acres) to the south.

The preserve contains estuary and marsh land that is extremely productive and relied upon for many marine species. From microscopic organisms to small bony fish, these waters are an important location for the life cycle of many organisms. Many of the aquatic organisms here support bird populations as well. At the preserve you might spot the New York State (NYS) protected Black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) or Red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus).

The preserve is an estuary marsh grass community with fluvial waters from Blydenburgh County Park and upland forest. Upland forest of the marsh is dominated by American beech. Oaks and black walnuts compose part of the canopy. A common understory tree is sassafras. There are two communities of ground cover. One is dominated by the NYS protected Lady fern (Asplenium felix-femina) and Jack-in-the-pulpit grows among the fern. The other is a cover of wild sarsaparilla.