Fischer Old-Growth Forest

Majestic, magical, inspirational, with trees over 150 feet tall, this site is a sanctuary in every sense of the word. The best of the few remaining examples of pre-European settlement forest in the region, this old-growth forest is notable not only for the extreme size of many individual trees but also for the very high number of tree species -- at least 23 -- of canopy size. Among these is yellow oak (Quercus muehlenbergii), a locally rare species.
 
The Bandler Family Tract is characterized by herbaceous and shrub-dominated old fields and young successional forests. These habitats, together with historic stone walls and old plow lines, evoke the past agricultural uses that reshaped this landscape. The addition also provides an important buffer to the old growth forest, which now collectively protects a one-half mile stretch of small gradient stream within the Cayuga Inlet Valley.
 
A 1.4 mile network of trails allows visitors and students the opportunity to observe the land use history through a continuum from meadow to successional forests of different ages to old-growth forest. The preserve now protects nearly 60 acres, with almost 30 acres of old-growth forest.

Download a list of plants here.