Turtle Pond

Introduction

Mendel's Pond, a local landmark and important waterfowl habitat, is part of a 44 acre acquisition worked out with Shelia and Bill Hamilton by FrOGS, the Putnam County Land Trust (PCLT) and The Nature Conservancy. Coordinated by Hunter Pollock of PCLT, preservation of this important wildlife area was acquired with money from the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) federal grant to FrOGS and its 12 partners. As part of the agreement, the name will be changed back to "Turtle Pond," its original name. "We gave Turtle Pond back to the land where it belongs, we were only borrowing it," says Sheila Hamilton, the recent owner of this quiet corner property in Patterson. Our family received so much pleasure from this property," said Bill Hamilton. "We were glad we could help the three organizations achieve their goal to preserve it for future generations."

Included in the purchase is the forested slope containing springs that feed the pond. The new acquisition borders the Putnam County Land Trust's Luschinsky and Sterling Farm Preserves, and completes a key 100 acre upland forest corridor owned by PCLT that will bridge Cornwall Hill. This large habitat block supports the breeding of declining area-sensitive bird species, such as the scarlet tanager and wood thrush.

photo by Norman McGrath

But equally important, many wetland species need bordering uplands and protective habitat to move from one area to another. Such ecological links facilitate wildlife and plant movement, in this case connecting the Swamp along Route 22 with the Ice Pond and Muddy Brook at routes 164 and 312. And some upland species, like the rare blue-spotted salamander, live in the forest, but move into the wetlands in the spring to breed. Therefore, protection of this overall landscape complex is required. "That's why NAWCA requires acquisition of upland buffer areas as part of the wetland purchases on which this federal program focuses," notes Dr. Jim Utter, of the Environmental Science Program at Purchase College and chairman of FrOGS.

The Turtle Pond Environment

Turtle Pond is at the western end of the newly protected corridor and is ecologically significant in its own right. It provides breeding habitat for wood ducks, kingfishers and green herons, and becomes a migratory stopover diner for waterbirds during the spring and fall migration. Ring neck ducks, green winged teal, black ducks and mallard ducks generally remain until the pond freezes over and are back early in the spring as they "fatten up" for flights to their appointed destinations. The beautiful wood ducks use the pond during migration, but residential parents are typically seen with their growing teenagers throughout the late summer and fall. Other waterbirds using the pond for migration refueling include pied-billed grebe, hooded merganser, ruddy duck, and blue-winged teal. Shorebird species such as spotted, least and solitary sandpipers feed on the insects that hatch on the lily pads and floating vegetative matter on the surface. Even an osprey has been spotted feeding on the fish in the pond. And the prolific painted turtles can be seen basking from early spring through the cold snaps in the fall. As a wildlife feeding area, Turtle Pond compliments the feeding resources of the main body of the swamp and connects the entire area ecologically.

The History of Turtle Pond

Turtle Pond and its surroundings have long been a part of Patterson's history. Being part of land originally conveyed to Mary Haines in 1788, it was a 1920's-era sprawling 208-acre dairy farm owned by Linus Johnson, recounts Edie Keasbey of FrOGS, who grew up on an adjacent farm. "It was converted to a chicken farm after WW II, but remained intact until 1966 when it was subdivided into several properties" she stated. "The pond was probably created around 1900 by damming the stream and flooding a marshy area to provide ice for the farm," suggests Chris Maher based on his research. Chris and Leslie Maher now own the yellow farmhouse, which is directly across the street.