The preserve is situated within the six villages of Bohemia, Central Islip, East Islip, Islip Terrace, Oakdale and Ronkonkoma, comprising 3,473 acres of complex terrestrial and aquatic communities. The dominant forest type within the preserve is a pitch pine-oak forest, with a mix of pitch pine-oak-heath woodland, and pine barrens shrub swamp. The state park preserve also contains the Connetquot River which feeds into the Great South Bay. The site is adjacent to Sunrise Highway and is surrounded by residential housing development.
Initially established in 1866 as the “South Side Sportsmen’s Club of Long Island,” it was maintained in pristine condition for hunting and fishing. In the 1970s the parcel was sold to New York State and opened as a public park, later becoming New York State’s first “State Park Preserve” due to the site’s intact ecological habitats and presence of rare species. Today, the preserve is a popular spot for nature walks, interpretive programming, cross country skiing, hiking, running, birding, nature photography, as well as freshwater fly fishing and horseback riding by permit.
- Size: 3,473 acres
- Relatively free of invasive species compared to it’s size
- Due to the relatively high amount of pristine pine barrens areas where the acidic, sandy soils make it difficult for anything other than native pine barrens plants to establish, there are comparatively few invasive species on this site.
- Large populations of rare and endangered species:
- These forests are home to about twenty-five populations of rare plants, making this site the highest density of rare plant populations of any state park. Many of these species are also considered endangered in the state.
- There are also over thirty rare animal species; including 18 bird species that are endangered, threatened or of special concern, and twelve bird species identified as declining and rare.
- To date, no submerged aquatic invasive species have been identified in this ISPZ.
- Westbrook, a tributary of the Connetquot River, which can be seen from the northeastern side of Sunrise Highway, was dammed until 2019 when it partially failed and drained the pond behind it. This allowed the stream to begin flowing naturally again, as well as allowed many native and even rare plants from the seedbank to sprout up and reshape the ecological communities of the floodplain. In 2021 LIISMA awarded Seatuck Environmental Association with a subcontract to begin invasive species removal of Phragmites, princes tree, Japanese Knotweed, and bog bulrush
- Updated monitoring of the Connetquot River for submerged aquatic invasive species, which will take place summer 2022
- Monitoring and coordinating management of areas where invasive species are found: areas of disturbance such as along highways, near the main complex, near the hatchery, fire lanes and the chicken farm. Many invasives are also found along the perimeter of the preserve that borders residential housing where yard trimmings are carelessly tossed into the preserve.
Species found within the buffer of the ISPZ, require monitoring for early detection and rapid response:
•Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges tsugae)
•Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata)
•Fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana)
•Porcelain Berry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata)
•Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata)
•Glossy Buckthron (Frangula alnus)
•Kudzu Pueraria (montana var. lobata)
•Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)
•Tea Viburnum (Viburnum setigerum)
Species recently found within the park that require rapid response:
•SPB (Dendroctonus frontalis)
•Black swallowwort (Vincetoxicum nigrum)
Invasive species that are established within the park, requiring containment and removal in highest quality areas:
•Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii)
•Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus)
•Burning bush (Euonymus alatus)
•Caper spurge (Euphorbia lathyris)
•Chinese lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata)
•Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)
•Japanese stilt grass (Microstegium vimenium)
•Chinese Silvergrass (Miscanthus sinensis)
•Watercress (Nasturtium officinale)
*Mile-a-minute weed (Persicaria perfoliata)
•Common reedgrass (Phragmites australis)
•Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) — a single tree was found in 2008; follow up required.
•Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora)
•Wineberry (Rubus phoenicolasius)
•Bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) t3
•Wisteria (Wisteria spp.) t3
Widespread invasive species found within the park that require greater research on their impact:
•Forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides)
Citations:
Schwager, Kathy (2009). Connetquot Weed Prevention Area Plan. Unpublished report. The Nature Conservancy.
