Introduction

The New York Botanical Garden is collaborating with the Putnam County Land Trust on a botanical inventory of the Ice Pond Conservation Area in the eastern Hudson Highlands of New York--just 50 miles north of Manhattan. The goal of the project is to provide a scientific assessment of the flora to enhance management, conservation and recreation programs.

The Ice Pond Conservation Area is part of the Great Swamp, one of New York State's largest wetlands and contributes to the Croton Reservoir--an important source of drinking water for New York City.

These pages describe the twenty ecological communities present and provides a checklist of the species, maps and photographs (when available) of the 599 vascular plants, mosses and lichens identified so far (545 vascular plants, 54 mosses and lichens).

Please visit the Ice Pond page of the Putnam County Land Trust website for information on the history, features and visitor guides to Ice Pond and other preserves in Putnam County.