Lenoir Preserve
PO Box 581
Dudley Street
Yonkers, NY 10703
(914) 968-5851
Official Website

This beautiful 40-acre sanctuary, open since 1978, serves as headquarters for the Yonkers Audubon Society. It also serves as headquarters for pheasants, cardinals, rabbits, chipmunks, salamanders, hardwood forest, conifer stands, and many other species of plants, mammals, birds, and insects. Lenoir has an unusual number of specimen trees and shrubs, many imported from around the world when the property was part of a private estate.

Among them are magnificent copper beeches from Europe, ginko trees from the Orient, and Douglas firs from the Pacific Northwest. With a wide range of native species, the imports combine to create a beautiful woods that will please any nature-lover.

Housed in a turn-of-the-century carriage house, Lenoir's Nature Center features exhibits relating to the natural environment and human history of the Preserve, the Hudson River, and the surrounding area. Included are a five-foot demonstration beehive with glass walls, a 55-gallon terrarium, taxidermic mounts, and displays pertaining to the different seasons. Quiz boards and hands-on exhibits entertain and teach young and old alike.

For interested individuals and families, Lenoir offers many activities throughout the year. Join up, take part. It's fun, and the projects are worthwhile.

Lenoir offers a number of educational activities and programs for School Groups. Field Trips, led by the Preserve's naturalist, use the woods and fields in various stages of growth to help students and children of all ages gain a greater appreciation and respect for our natural world. These are seasonal, and include, Life on the Forest Floor: teaches how the forest floor turns dead plant and animal matter into vital nutrients that support new growth. Signs of Fall: explores the signs of summer's departure and the approach of winter. Winter Survival: how the animals of Lenoir's woods and fields adapt to make it through the harsh, cold winter. Maple Sugaring: a favorite, demonstrating the entire process. Students take a small bottle home with them. Spring Awakening: witness a glorious time of renewal while enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of spring. Insects of the Field: using nets, bins, and hand lenses, students get a close look at a wide variety of insects and discover their life cycles, feeding behavior, defensive mechanism, and habit.

Programs take about an hour and are adaptable for all grade levels.