Cortlandt Manor / Mohegan Lake / Shrub Oak / Jefferson Valley / Peekskill / Yorktown Heights, NY 10567

Teatown Lake Reservation
Teatown Lake Reservation is a nonprofit nature preserve
and environmental education center. The reservation
includes an 1,000-acre nature preserve and education
center located in the Westchester towns of Yorktown,
Cortlandt, and New Castle. About 25,000 people come
each year to hike the preserve’s 15 miles of trails, attend
an education program, visit the Nature Center, or tour
“Wildflower Island”. Teatown’s educators offer adult, family
and children’s programs to 20,000 participants annually,
including nearly 6,000 schoolchildren and 700 summer
camp students.
Known by locals simply as “Teatown”, the organization
works to conserve biodiversity, teach ecology and
promote nature-friendly living. Located in the heart of
the Lower Hudson Valley’s Hudson Highlands bioregion,
Teatown Lake Reservation’s mission is to conserve open
space, educate citizens about the environment, and involve
the public in order to sustain the diversity of wildlife,
plants and habitats for future generations.
Teatown conducts two annual celebrations that are open
to the public: the Hudson River EagleFest and the Plant
Sale. The EagleFest takes place in February each year,
when winter conditions make eagles easier to spot as
they search for prey on the Hudson River. The EagleFest
offers visitors live raptor demonstrations in tents at Westchester
County’s Croton Point Park. Short bus tours from
Croton Point that take visitors to local eagle spotting sights
up and down the lower Hudson Valley require reservations.
Guides with scopes are located at the bus stops
along the tour as well as at the Croton Point. About 2,500
visitors took part in EagleFest 2008, and about 4,000 visitors
took part in 2009. Several dozen non-profit organizations,
governmental agencies and municipalities participate.
Other nearby nature and culture centers, such as
the Beczak Environmental Education Center, Croton Point
Nature Center, Van Cortlandt Manor, and Constitution
Marsh Audubon Center hold concurrent eagle-themed
programs during the EagleFest week. Before and during
the event, 5,000 free eagle spotting maps are distributed.
The annual Nature Friendly Plant Sale celebrates the Cliffdale
Farm legacy of Teatown and is a well-known source
for local hardy and diverse garden plants. The plant sale
takes place each spring
An important part of Teatown’s mission is to teach ecology
and encourage responsible interaction with nature.
About 25,000 people come each year to attend an education
program, visit the Nature Center, hike its trails, or
tour Wildflower Island, a 2-acre island sanctuary located
within Teatown Lake that is home to over 230 native and
endangered species of wildflowers.
Teatown’s educators offer a variety of environmental education
programs, including weekend family and adults
only programs, multi-week children’s series, school programs,
school vacation camps, a summer camp, and
special programs for Scouts and others organizations.
Over 10,000 participants annually attend one or more
such educational programs, including nearly 6,000
school children and 700 summer campers. Annually,
over 15,000 hikers traverse Teatown’s 15 miles of trails
that span abundant fields, mixed forests, lakes, streams,
swamps and farm land. Teatown volunteers also participate
in the “Great Backyard Bird Count” sponsored by the
Audubon Society each winter.
Teatown’s Nature Center is a source of wildlife knowledge
and home to a variety of amphibians, birds of prey,
mammals and reptiles. The Nature Center also houses a
store with books and small gifts. The Center often hosts
gallery shows of art by area painters and photographers
related to environmental themes.
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