Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve is
state park[ located near the southwestern shore of Staten Island, New York.]
History
The park was the site of extensive mining of white kaolin clay
Kaolinite ( ) is a clay mineral, with the chemical composition Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4. It is an important industrial mineral. It is a layered silicate mineral, with one tetrahedral sheet of silica () linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedra ...
in the 19th century that provided the raw material for bricks and terra cotta
Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous.
In applied art, craft, construction, and architecture, terracotta ...
. After the abandonment of the quarrying operations, rainwater, natural springs, and vegetation filled in the pits.[ The preserve also contains archaeological evidence of settlements of the Lenape, early ]Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
an settlers, and the Free Blacks of Sandy Ground.
The park was created in 1977 after extensive lobbying by the Protectors of Pine Oak Woods, a local conservation
Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws.
Conservation may also refer to:
Environment and natural resources
* Nature conservation, the protection and managem ...
organization.[
Groundbreaking for a $1.3 million nature center was held on May 4, 2007.]
Park description
The park is a nature preserve, comprising wetland
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The p ...
s, ponds, sand barrens, spring-fed streams, and woodlands. It includes pitch pine woods, and rare wildflower
A wildflower (or wild flower) is a flower that grows in the wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. The term implies that the plant probably is neither a hybrid nor a selected cultivar that is in any way different from the ...
s such as cranberry
Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus ''Oxycoccus'' of the genus '' Vaccinium''. In Britain, cranberry may refer to the native species '' Vaccinium oxycoccos'', while in North America, cranberry ...
, lizard-tail, possumhaw, and bog twayblade. The animal species found in the park include northern black racer snakes, box turtle
Box turtle is the common name for several species of turtle. It may refer to those of the genus '' Cuora'' or '' Pyxidea'', which are the Asian box turtles, or more commonly to species of the genus '' Terrapene'', the North American box turtles. ...
s, eastern fence lizard
The eastern fence lizard (''Sceloporus undulatus'') is a medium-sized species of lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae. The species is found along forest edges, rock piles, and rotting logs or stumps in the eastern United States. It is sometimes ref ...
s, Fowler's toads, green frogs, and spring peeper
The spring peeper (''Pseudacris crucifer'') is a small chorus frog widespread throughout the eastern United States and Canada. They prefer permanent ponds due to their advantage in avoiding predation; however, they are very adaptable with respect ...
s. More than 170 bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...
species have been sighted in the park. Deer are also regularly seen there.
The purpose of the preserve is to retain the site's unique ecology, as well as to provide educational and recreational opportunities, such a nature walks, pond ecology programs, and birdwatching
Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...
. Two hiking trails – the Abraham's Pond Trail and the Ellis Swamp Trail – are open to the public near the park headquarters, and horseback riding is permitted on of bridle paths.
The park has two designated areas, which are set aside for endangered species and are off-limits to the public.[
]
See also
* List of New York state parks
References
External links
New York State Parks: Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve
{{authority control
State parks of New York (state)
Parks in Staten Island
Nature centers in New York City
Protected areas established in 1977
1977 establishments in New York (state)