Our Work / Stewardship
Wolf/Reese Assemblage
Located on the Great Hog Neck Peninsula in Southold, the Wolf Preserve and the Harold A. Reese Preserve provide 50 acres of continuously protected woodland. By conserving the land’s ecology, both contribute significantly to the area’s resiliency to the effects of climate change, provide important wildlife habitat, and contribute to groundwater protection in this part of the Peconic Bay Estuary.
Several trails run throughout the preserves showcasing the important ecosystems and the native species who live there. You can access the trails from both Main Bayview Road and North Bayview Road.
Wolf Preserve
In April 2003, Mrs. Leonor D. Wolf left an incredible legacy for the community through a testamentary gift to the Trust in her will: 20 acres of woodlands along Main Bayview Road in Southold.
Mrs. Wolf's love of nature and wildlife inspired her to make this gift so that "people would have a place to breathe and renew their connection to the land." The Wolf Preserve includes habitat for a wide variety of fauna with vibrant wetlands, meadows, and woodlands.
photo by Christine Kraft
Harold A. Reese Preserve
In November 2020, the Trust acquired 29.8 acres from the Reese family. This preserve is named after the family's father, Harold A. Reese. Acquisition of the Reese property was made possible by the Reese family’s choice of a bargain sale, and also by accessing a line-of credit provided by an anonymous donor to the Trust.
The property had been owned by the Reese family since the mid-1960s and is predominantly woodland, with a 1-acre area of freshwater wetlands and is on the Peconic Estuary Program’s Critical Land Protection list. We thank the Reese family for recognizing the importance of conserving this environmentally sensitive area of the Peconic Bay Estuary.
*Bargain Sale: when the owner of the asset, in this case the land, is sold to a charity or organization for less than the property's appraised fair market value.
Reese Preserve
Trail Accessibility
We are taking Leonor’s vision further and providing trails with accessibility features on both the Wolf Preserve and Harold A. Reese Preserve. Acknowledging that people with mobility restrictions have a hard time enjoying the outdoors, the Trust designed the trails to remove some of the barriers to access.
Thanks to community raised funds and grant money we’ve been able to start updating the trails. All trails have been widened to six feet to accommodate wheelchairs and strollers and leveled to maintain an approximate grade of 0-3 %.
Eastern Trail Loop
In 2020, the Eastern Trail Loop was the first trail to be renovated. Techniques used on this trail including hardening the trail with locally crushed stone as the powder coat on top of the trail, were repeated on the other trails.
- Surface Type: Hardened surface
- Length: 1/2 mile
- Typical Width: 6 feet
- Typical Slope: 0-3% grade
Western Trail Loop
The 1/2 mile Western Trail Loop takes you through the meadow and into the dense red cedars of the regenerating woodland. While this part of the property had been farmed for many years, Mrs. Wolf allowed it to revert to its natural state to provide wildlife habitat. Wander along the wetlands, and keep your eyes open for waterfowl, reptiles, and amphibians.
- Surface Type: Hardened surface
- Length: 2300 feet (little less than 1/2 mile)
- Typical Width: 6 feet
- Typical Slope: 0-3% grade
Meadow Loop
Provides views of the meadow.
- Surface Type: Hardened surface
- Length: 900 feet
- Typical Width: 6 feet
- Typical Slope: 0-3% grade
North Bayview Trail
Passing through woodland and wetlands, you'll go from the Harold A. Reese Preserve to Wolf Preserve on this trail.
- Surface Type: Hardened surface
- Length: 3024 feet (a little more than 1/2 mile)
- Typical Width: 6 feet
- Typical Slope: 0-3% grade
Future trail enhancements include a boardwalk across the wetlands, a bridge to connect the Eastern and Western Trail Loops, and an expanded parking lot.
Help us improve accessibility on our preserves! The Trust is currently fundraising to improve the trail system at the Harold A. Reese Preserve and Wolf Preserve . Kiosk signs at both trailheads feature an updated trail map (shown above) and information in both English and Spanish. We’re grateful to the generous support of the preserves’ neighbors and friends who have made this work possible so far!
For more information, you can contact Matt Swain, Vice President or Amanda Abraham, Director of Development.
If interested in the Peconic Estuary Program’s Critical Land Protection list, click here:
Peconic Estuary Partnership – Protecting & Restoring Long Island's Peconic Bays
Animals
Reptiles and Amphibians
American Toad
Anaxyrus americanus
The males puff out their large throat, like an inflated balloon, to produce one of the most notable mating calls: a long 4-20 second trill. When threatened, they will crouch and remain still, relying on camouflage to protect themselves.
Artwork courtesy of Britt Zuckerman, of Dirtworks Landscape Architecture P.C
Eastern Box Turtle
Terrapene carolina carolina
These turtles are old souls; they generally live for 25-35 years, but have been known to survive to over 100 years old. They love to bask in the sun, but in the winter they enter a hibernation-like state known as brumation.
Artwork courtesy of Britt Zuckerman, of Dirtworks Landscape Architecture P.C
Spotted Salamander
Ambystoma maculatum
These blueish-black salamanders are large, about 6-10 inches. Since they lay their eggs underwater, the larvae are born with external gills for breathing in their aquatic habitat. Their striking coloring alerts predators to stay away, but just in case they secrete a milky toxin from their backs and tails.
Artwork courtesy of Britt Zuckerman, of Dirtworks Landscape Architecture P.C
Garter Snake
Thamnophis sirtalis
They are among the most common snakes in North America, with stripes running lengthwise. The offspring are hatched from eggs within the body of the parent – 20 to 40 at one birth. Once they are born, the baby snakes live on their own.
Artwork courtesy of Britt Zuckerman, of Dirtworks Landscape Architecture P.C
American Bullfrog
Lithobates Catesbeianus
Bullfrogs get their name from the sound that males make during the breeding season, which resembles a bull bellowing. The males make at least two different sounds: a mating sound and a warning call. A bullfrog can jump up to 10 times their body length- almost as far as 6 feet!
Spotted Turtle
Clemmys Guttata
Clemmys Guttata was once the most common turtle on Long Island! The spotted turtle is omnivorous, feeding on aquatic plants, small fish, snails, worms, slugs, spiders, tadpoles, and small crustaceans. It’s also totally black in color and contains anywhere from zero to about one hundred yellow spots, which are a defining characteristic of this turtle.
Spring Peeper
Pseudacris Crucifer
Spring Peepers are one of the loudest animals! Their song is 90 decibels (about the same as a lawn mower). Peepers have a bubble that forms under the frog’s mouth. This bubble is actually the frog’s vocal sac. To make their calls, peepers close their nostrils and mouths and squeeze their lungs, which causes the vocal sac in the throat to inflate like a balloon.
Eastern (Red-Spotted) Newt
Notophthalmus viridescens
Red-spotted newts can be indicators of healthy wetlands. They secrete poisonous toxins on their skin to make them distasteful to predators. A Red-spotted newt’s courtship includes rubbing his chin along the female’s snout, like a romantic nuzzle, prior to fertilization. This species is one of 8 native salamanders on Long Island.
Common Watersnake
Nerodia Sipedon
Among the most common snakes in North America, these snakes are only social during fall and spring. They have been observed coiled together, basking in the sun. IN the warmer months, they are solitary creatures found most often in shallow water along the wetland edge.
Animals and Fish
Whitetail Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
They are primarily crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dawn and at dusk. These abundant creatures have a very diverse plant-based diet, including nuts, fruits and berries, grasses, fungi/mushrooms, twigs, and even poison ivy.
Artwork courtesy of Amy Foster, of Dirtworks Landscape Architecture P.C
Raccoon
Procyon lotor
Raccoons are nocturnal animals – which means they sleep during the day. The black mask around their eyes works to absorb incoming light and reduce glare, helping them to see at night when they are most active.
Artwork courtesy of Britt Zuckerman, of Dirtworks Landscape Architecture P.C
Eastern Cottontail
Sylvilagus floridanus
While being pursued by predators they can reach speeds up to 18 miles per hour and often zig-zag to confuse them. Baby rabbits are called kits, adult females are does, and males are bucks.
Artwork courtesy of Britt Zuckerman, of Dirtworks Landscape Architecture P.C
Largemouth Bass
Micropterus Salmoides
Largemouth bass are the most popular freshwater game fish on Long Island. Largemouth bass can see well in all directions except straight back and straight down. Their excellent vision helps them see most of the same colors as humans. Bass uses their lateral lines to “hear” or detect sounds and vibrations from up to 100 feet away.
River Otter
Lontra Canadensis
River otters are recovering on Long Island from their near extirpation. They spend most of their time on land, but their main sources of food are aquatic prey. On land, they can travel between waterbodies and watersheds at speeds of up to 18 mph.
Birds
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
The largest of the “tufted” owls, the bird’s acute hearing allows it to hear sounds from 10 miles away. The shape of their wings and softly fringed feathers allows them to fly in near silence.
Artwork courtesy of Britt Zuckerman, of Dirtworks Landscape Architecture P.C
Osprey
Pandion haliaetus
To court their partner, males perform a ‘sky dance’ where they hover and wobble in flight while screaming to attract a female. These birds lay their eggs asynchronously with three being the usual number. Their arrival to eastern Long Island, typically in mid-to-late March, coincides with the arrival of spring.
Artwork courtesy of Britt Zuckerman, of Dirtworks Landscape Architecture P.C
Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo
An adult turkey has 5,000 to 6,000 feathers. Their droppings tell a bird’s sex and age: male droppings are j-shaped while the female’s droppings are spiral-shaped; and the larger the diameter, the older the bird.
Artwork courtesy of Britt Zuckerman, of Dirtworks Landscape Architecture P.C
Wood Duck
Aix Sponsa
Due to over-hunting as well as destruction of habitat, wood duck numbers were very low in the late 1800s and early 1900s. With conservation efforts, there are now over a million wood ducks in North America.
Red-Winger Blackbird
Agelaius Phoeniceus
They are considered a harbinger of spring as they return to wetland areas around early March. The larger the red band of its shoulder (epaulet) the more attractive it is to females. They nest in the marsh grasses.
Insects
Monarch Butterfly
Danaus plexippus
These pollinators have four generations each year, with the butterflies emerging in September and October making a trek south to overwinter. The first three generations live between two and six weeks. The fourth generation travels to Mexico for the winter, flying up to 100 miles daily during a 3,000-mile migration.
Artwork courtesy of Britt Zuckerman, of Dirtworks Landscape Architecture P.C
Dragonfly
Anisoptera
Dragonflies are expert fliers. They can fly straight up and down, hover like a helicopter, and even mate mid-air. If they can’t fly, they’ll starve because they only eat prey they catch while flying.
Water Strider
Gerridae
The Gerridae are a family of insects in the order Hemiptera, commonly known as water striders, water skeeters, water scooters, water bugs, pond skaters, water skippers, or water skimmers. Their physical structure allows them to displace water and create surface tension, which allows them to run across the surface of water.
Plants
Trees
Red Cedar
Juniperus virginiana
The berries on these trees are not berries at all – they are cones, like pine cones. These “berries” are an important food source for many birds, especially in the winter months. The smell this tree makes is unpleasant to moths, and a reason why closets and storage trunks are lined with cedar.
Artwork courtesy of Britt Zuckerman, of Dirtworks Landscape Architecture P.C
Red Oak Tree
Quercus rubra
Instead of being smooth, the leaves of these trees are usually a bit furry on the bottom – and its leaf stalk is often slightly red, one of the reasons for its name. The acorns from the tree are used as a food source by blue jays, squirrels, raccoons, and wild turkeys.
Artwork courtesy of Mark Tepper, of Dirtworks Landscape Architecture P.C
Sassafrass
Sassafras albidum
This tree has polymorphic leaves, which means there are different types or shapes of leaves on the same tree: oval, mitten-shaped and three-lobed. The tree is also known to repel mosquitoes and other insects.
Artwork courtesy of Britt Zuckerman, of Dirtworks Landscape Architecture P.C
Silver Birch
Betula pendula
This tree produces fruit called a “samara,” and can release around one million seeds each year. Both the seeds and the bark of the tree are food sources for forest animals, including deer, rabbits and birds.
Artwork courtesy of Britt Zuckerman, of Dirtworks Landscape Architecture P.C
Oak Leaf
Quercus alba
These trees can live for centuries and typically don’t start producing acorns until they are between 50 to 100 years old. Once mature, they can produce more than 2,000 acorns a year, but only 1 in 10,000 become an oak tree. Another unique feature: these trees produce both male and female flowers.
Artwork courtesy of Amy Foster, of Dirtworks Landscape Architecture P.C
White Pine
Pinus strobus
Found in the eastern part of the United States, the trees can grow for 200 years or more and up to 150’ tall. The tree’s needles typically grow in bundles of five, which distinguish it from the other pine found on Long Island— the Pitch Pine— which typically grows in bundles of three.
Artwork courtesy of Amy Foster, of Dirtworks Landscape Architecture P.C
Plants
New York Aster
Aster novi-belgii
A flowering plant that blooms in the late summer with purple flowers, the name “aster” originates from the Greek word for star, referring to the star shaped flower heads.
Artwork courtesy of Britt Zuckerman, of Dirtworks Landscape Architecture P.C
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
This native North American prairie grass offers excellent forage and habitat for birds and butterflies. When it first blooms, it produces pinkish seedheads, with the grass turning to yellow in the fall.
Artwork courtesy of Amy Foster, of Dirtworks Landscape Architecture P.C
Highbush Blueberry
Vaccinium corymbosum
The blueberry is one of the only foods that is naturally blue in color. The pigment that gives the blueberry its distinctive color, anthocyanin, is the same compound that provides the blueberry’s amazing health benefits.
Artwork courtesy of Britt Zuckerman, of Dirtworks Landscape Architecture P.C
Seaside Goldenrod
Solidago sempervirens
The plant is commonly found on beaches and dunes. Its waxy, fleshy leaves help the plant retain water and it is tolerant of saltwater spray and rock salt. Flowering in late summer, it is an important habitat and food source for shoreline birds and monarch butterflies.
Artwork courtesy of Britt Zuckerman, of Dirtworks Landscape Architecture P.C
Turkey Tail Mushroom
Trametes versicolor
It’s easy to see why this fungus is called the “Turkey Tail,” as the upper surface sports rings of color that vary from grey to brown to reddish-orange. This fungus breaks down the dead wood on a tree for nutrients while helping clear the area for new growth.
Artwork courtesy of Amy Foster, of Dirtworks Landscape Architecture P.C
