SAINT JOHN'S POND PRESERVE
Route 25A, Cold Spring Harbor
14 acres

Open: 10 a.m. -5 p.m.

Key to the gate may be obtained at the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery.

Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery and Aquarium
Route 25A
14 acres
692-6768
Open daily: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

History:

The preserve is located next to Saint John's Church along the shoreline of Saint John's Pond.

This hatchery was established by New York State in 1883. The state's largest collection of native freshwater fish, reptiles and amphibians. Of particular interest are the endangered osprey that are often found in the preserve.

The ponds here were part of a three-pond system used by industry in the 17th century.

Habitats:

This 14 acre preserve is located next to Saint John's Church along the shoreline of Saint John's Pond. It consists of a woodland swamp, wet woods, and dry woods with tall stands of spotted touch-me-nots, skunk cabbage, cinnamon fern, oak, mountain laurel, and red maples.

(Sources: Geffen and Berglie, 1996: Chapter 11 and others)

PLANT LIST:

Trees:
Acer rubrum (red maple)
Betula lenta (black birch)
Castanea dentata (American chestnut)
Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip tree)
Quercus prinus (chestnut oak)
Quercus rubra (red oak)

Shrubs and sub-shrubs:
Epigaea repens (trailing arbutus)
Kalmia latifolia (mountain laurel)

Herbs:
Arisaema triphyllum (Jack-in-the-pulpit)
Chelidonium majus (celandine)
Cypripedium acaule (pink lady's slipper)
Erythronium americanum (trout lily)
Geranium maculatum (wild geranium)
Impatiens capensis (orange jewelweed)
Maianthemum canadense (Canada mayflower)
Polygonatum sp. (Solomon' seal)
Symplocarpus foetidus (skunk cabbage)
Trillium cernuum (nodding trillium)
Trillium erectum (purple trillium)

Ferns:
Dennstaedtia punctilobula (hay-scented fern)
Osmunda cinnamomea (cinnamon fern)