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August 19, 2011: Grumpy, you will be missed!
Photo © Ruth Ferreti
Trailside’s beloved Great Horned Owl passed away this August. Affectionately named Grumpy, she was the oldest animal at Trailside having arrived here in 1976. This would make her at least 35 years of age compared to the wild life expectancy of 15-20 years. She will be deeply missed by the zoo’s staff and all of our visitors.
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June 2011: Regional Museums get a facelift at 92 years old!
Trailside’s Regional Museums, educating park visitors even before Trailside was established, are located around Harriman State Park and serve as miniature nature centers for youth camps during the summer. Three of these historic buildings received new slate roofs this spring and are scheduled to open their doors to campers and the public by late June.
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June 7th, 2011: The Photography of Vince Ferraro
Photo © Vincent Ferraro
On your next visit to the Highland Falls Public Library, be sure to view images from around Trailside and Bear Mountain captured by Vince, a long time local and photographer. The collection is on display June 10 – July 31st.
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May 19th, 2011
2010 Headstart Wood Turtles Released!
Trailside staff released the second batch of recent graduates from our headstart program initiated in 2009. Several of the juvenile wood turtles were fitted with transmitters, enabling us to monitor them through the summer.
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February 28th, 2011
We regret to inform you that our beloved bobcat Natasha passed away in February. She would have been 24 in May and lived a long life compared to her wild counterparts, who usually live to an age of 12 or 13. Natasha originally came to Trailside from Brooklyn’s Prospect Park Zoo in 1988 at the age of six months as the runt of a litter. Since then she has been a favorite of visitors to Trailside . She will be deeply missed by the zoo’s staff and all of our visitors.
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Greening Trailside: A continuing effort to build a more sustainable environment
October 5, 2010
In accordance with Trailside’s commitment to conservation and sustainability, an energy efficiency project begun in 2010 is estimated to save close to 30,000 kilowatts of energy and $4,200 annually. This effort, made possible through Orange and Rockland’s Small Business Energy Efficiency Program, involved months of planning and resulted in the installation of over 100 high efficiency lighting systems. The older, inefficient bulbs and ballasts were removed and recycled (some dated back to 1942!)
In addition to the lighting upgrade, a composting station was also constructed to recycle animal and garden waste. These first steps are the beginning of a continuing process to decrease energy consumption and move toward a more sustainable future.
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Palisades Interstate Park Commission
For decades Edward J. Lenik has excavated Native American sites and interpreted Indian cultural history in and around Bear Mountain including Fort Montgomery, Fort Clinton, Wanakawaghkin (Iona Island), Dunderberg Mountain, and Doodletown. His new book Lost Arrowheads and Broken Pottery is essential for anyone interested in the prehistory of this area.
Each of Lenik’s books are available at the Palisades Vistor Center Book Store located at Exit 17 off the Palisades Interstate Parkway.
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We regret to inform you that our black bear, Raeba, has passed away at the old age of 22. Originally from the Queen’s Zoo, she came to Trailside in 1988 with her mother and sister. When she lived with her sister she was very independent. However, with the introduction of the cubs Pal and Sadie in 2005, she showed her playful, caring, motherly side and they truly enriched her life. Raeba is buried in the park along side her mother and sister. She will be greatly missed.
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In addition to our new winged residents, we have just acquired two rescued Opossums! They will be living part time in their enclosure, but will be out on the trail with handlers regularly for special events. They have been raised by humans and therefore make wonderful education animals. We will be sure to post any planned Opossum events!
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Our new Long Eared Owl has just moved into its new home at Trailside. He seems to be adjusting well to his new neighbors and all the activity.
Also, keep your eye out for our new Pileated Woodpecker, who will soon be on exhibit at Trailside.
We are excited about our new additions and the educational opportunities they will provide!
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We regret to inform you that we have recently lost our silver fox to symptoms of her old age. We had lost her red fox companion in early April. These two animals were great assets to the zoo and will be greatly missed. We are looking to enhance the enclosure in order to properly house fox in the future. We appreciate your concern.
- The Trailside Staff
Photo © Ruth Ferreti
