Eastern: Arthur W. Butler Memorial Sanctuary

Why You Should Visit
This land’s rugged outcrops and boulder-strewn hills provide a solid foundation for deciduous forests, flowing streams, and swamps teeming with flora and fauna.

Location
Bedford, Westchester County, New York

Size
363 acres

How to Prepare for Your Visit
Please see our Visitation Guidelines.

Directions
From I-684 to exit 4 (Route 172) west towards Mt. Kisco. After 0.3 miles, turn left onto Chestnut Ridge Road and go 1.2 miles. Turn right over bridge into parking area.

What to Expect
The preserve has more than five miles of trails.

What to See: Plants
There are six forest communities on the preserve: oak-dominant mixed hardwood, oak-hickory, mixed mesophytic, hemlock-mixed hardwood, hemlock dominant and wetland swamp forest. There are also several areas of white pine and Norway spruce plantations.

What to See: Animals
The Robert J. Hammershlag Hawkwatch is an excellent spot to observe a variety of hawks, falcons and other raptors during the autumn hawk migration. Other animals on the preserve include white-tailed deer, red fox, coyote, great-horned owls, barred owls and screech owls. The summer brings songbirds such as wood thrush, warblers and scarlet tanagers.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
In 1954, Mrs. Butler donated 225 acres of land to The Nature Conservancy in honor of her husband, making it the organization’s first donated preserve and the first wildlife refuge in the town of Bedford. Since then, it has grown through additional donations and purchases to its present size.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
Each fall, visitors flock to the preserve to observe migrating birds of prey. The Nature Conservancy posts interpretive materials that explain the phenomenon of mass migration and help to identify the many raptor species passing overhead. Guided hikes are offered throughout the year.