Westchester Land Trust has been keeping this preserve close to the vest, as we’ve been busy preparing it to open to the public. The 32-acres of Mill River Preserve are directly adjacent to the Town of Lewiboro’s Leon Levy Preserve, creating an expanded protected wildlife corridor. This preserve is bisected by the Mill River, and supports woodlands, beaver ponds, cattail marshes, and thick shrublands. Though the preserve is generally in good ecological health, we need to cut invasive bittersweet and porcelain berry before they cause too much trouble for our native trees. The intrepid Ben Kleist, preserve manager, will lead this event.

• Day + Time: Thursday, November 7, 11am–2pm
• Getting There + Parking: There is plenty of parking at the Leon Levy parking lot (41.259425, -73.530430), and we will walk together into Mill River Preserve.
• Difficulty: Medium—suitable for ages 15 and up, or 8 and up with direct supervision from a parent or guardian; minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. We will be using loppers, hand pruners, and hand saws to cut vines which are not safe for children to handle by themselves. Minimal to moderate hiking is to be expected (about two miles total).
• Safety: We will be working mostly off trail in flat areas, conditions can range from drylands to wetlands. There are some plants with thorns and there may be ticks and poison ivy. The best way to prevent these hazards is wearing appropriate clothing—closed-toed shoes, long pants, and long sleeves. Some tools (loppers, hand pruners, hand saws) can be dangerous and should not be used by anybody under the age of 15 without direct supervision from a parent or guardian. Please bring a water bottle. Light snacks, work gloves, and tools will be provided.
• Registration Required: Register here.

Volunteer group size is capped at 20; no drop-ins please.

This event is part of our ongoing forest health initiative, which was launched to help ensure the forests you love are here for generations to come. Read the press release announcing this effort here. You can save our forests—donate here to support this work.