“Connecting people with nature by creating a national network of protected, mature, native forests.”

On May 7 at noon, The Vassar Forest in Poughkeepsie will be formally inducted into the national Old-Growth Forest Network. A free, public celebration will be held on campus, including tree-themed games, contests, prizes, guided hikes through the forest, and a brief induction ceremony where Sarah RobbGrieco, Old-Growth Forest Network’s Northeast Regional Manager, will present a plaque to Vassar College President Elizabeth Bradley in acknowledgment of this protected forest and its exceptional stewards. The event will take place at the southern end of Sunset Lake. 

The Vassar Forest is a 222-acre forest corridor within Vassar College that is being left to natural processes. Vassar is committed to allowing these woods to mature into old-growth forests. One hundred sixty acres of the forest corridor is located on The Preserve at Vassar, a 500-acre field station located across a street from Vassar College’s main campus. The Preserve is a rich, living laboratory for students and faculty at Vassar, with a network of marked trails open to the public and a variety of environmental outreach and educational programs for the local community. The forest corridor continues onto the main campus following the Casperkill Creek.

The Vassar Forest contains both wetland and upland forest communities. Wetland forest areas include floodplain forests, red maple–hardwood swamps, and red maple–swamp white oak swamps. Upland forest areas include beech–maple mesic, Appalachian oak–hickory, successional northern hardwood, and successional southern hardwood forests. The Vassar Forest also contains populations of spring ephemerals such as Trillium cernuum, Trillium erectum, Erythronium americanum, Asarum canadense, Sanguinaria canadensis, Podophyllum peltatum, Claytonia virginica, Floerkea proserpinacoides, Cardamine concatenata, and Allium tricoccum.

This forest corridor contains sections of the Casperkill Creek, a tributary of the Hudson River, which supports a diverse suite of wildlife. It also includes several vernal pools that are actively used by frogs and toads as a breeding site.

Keri VanCamp, Director of The Preserve at Vassar, said, “We are pleased to announce the addition of The Vassar Forest to the Old-Growth Forest Network. Vassar is committed to stewarding and protecting the forest to ensure that it continues to mature and develop into an old-growth forest. The designation protects this valuable habitat in perpetuity and enables future generations to access and explore the forest, deepening their connection to the natural world.”

The mission of the Old-Growth Forest Network (OGFN) is to connect people with nature by creating a national network of protected, mature, publicly accessible, native forests. The organization’s goal is to preserve at least one forest in every U.S. county that can sustain woods, estimated to be 2,370 out of a total of 3,140 counties. The OGFN’s program works to identify forests for the network, ensure their protection from logging, and connect people to these properties to experience old-growth forests. The OGFN also educates about the extraordinary ecological and human wellness benefits of old-growth forests and speaks out about immediate threats to specific ancient forests.

Founded in 2012 by Dr. Joan Maloof, the OGFN has over 330 forests in 40 states. The Vassar Forest will be the twenty-eighth New York forest to join the national network, which includes South Woods Old-Growth Forest at Bard College in Dutchess County, Big Tree Loop at Rockefeller State Park Preserve in Westchester County, Thain Family Forest at New York Botanical Garden in Bronx County, Shorakapok Preserve at Inwood Hill Park in New York County, Zoar Valley Unique Area in Cattaraugus County, Old Growth Trail at Green Lakes State Park in Onondaga County, and Ampersand Mountain in Franklin County. The full list of forests in the OGFN may be viewed at www.oldgrowthforest.net/new-york.

RobbGrieco said, “We are delighted to welcome The Vassar Forest into the network as a forest representative for Dutchess County, and to recognize Vassar for protecting this forestland, allowing it to mature into old growth. By conferring this honor, we celebrate Vassar and all The Vassar Forest’s previous stewards and advocates for their work in preserving this forest corridor for generations to come.”

The OGFN depends on volunteers in each U.S. county to help identify and induct forests into the network. Rosalind Dickinson of Woodstock is our dedicated volunteer in Dutchess County. Interested volunteers are welcome to contact the OGFN through www.oldgrowthforest.net.