The Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy’s Oxbow Preserve is pictured. Photo by Bethany O’Hagan

What are nature preserves, and why does Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy have them? Our planet has a total of 6,555 national parks. Nature preserves are essential to protecting our natural world’s diverse species of flora and fauna. A nature preserve is an area of land set aside from development to protect and conserve its natural features, habitats, and wildlife. These areas are managed to maintain their ecological integrity and to provide a safe haven for plants, animals, and other natural resources forever. They are mostly established to protect unique ecosystems, endangered species, or landscapes of significant natural beauty. Nature preserves can also offer opportunities for education, research, and recreation while promoting environmental awareness and sustainability. Examples of preserves include national parks, wildlife refuges, and privately owned conservation lands. Here in Chautauqua County, the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy owns over 35 nature preserves with over 10 miles of hiking trails that are open year-round to the public from sunrise to sunset.

On average, there are 10.6 percent more animal species inside a protected area than outside one. In the U.S., there are more than 800 wilderness areas in 44 states covering over 110 million acres. Aiding in that number is Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy’s 1,251 (and growing) acres. Eighty-one rivers in the U.S. covering nearly 2,700 miles have been protected under the 1968 Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. In Chautauqua County where water is abundant, our land trust has established protective rights over large swatches of rivers and streams that feed and run into larger bodies of water that interconnect all over the nation.

As a nationally accredited land trust, we establish all these crucial nature preserves for several compelling reasons:

– Conservation: Protecting natural habitats, endangered species, and biodiversity is one of our primary goals. Nature Preserves ensure these areas remain undisturbed and thrive in perpetuity forever.

– Ecosystem Services: Nature preserves contribute to clean air and water, climate regulation, and soil health, which are essential for human well-being.

– Education and Research: These areas provide valuable opportunities for environmental education, scientific research, and citizen science projects, which Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy plays an important role in the community doing.

– Recreation: Nature preserves offer spaces for people to enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, birdwatching, and nature photography, promoting physical and mental health, something that is highlighted with our monthly ‘Wine on the Trail’ walks.

– Heritage: They safeguard places of historical, cultural, and environmental significance for future generations.

– Community Engagement: Land trusts often involve local communities in the stewardship of these preserves, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility for the natural world. One example would be the help we get from local scout troops to help eliminate invasive species at our Cassadaga Lakes Nature Park.

Have you ever visited one of our nature preserves? You can find directions to them, along with noteworthy information about their flowers, plants, and wildlife, on our website at chautauquawatershed.org. Head on out and visit a preserve today. Don’t forget to sign in at the kiosk so we can keep track of the number of people our nature preserves reach. Also, if they are present, don’t forget to use our invasive species boot brush stations before and after your hikes to help eliminate the spread of invasive species.

Happy trails, and I hope you can go out and enjoy the crunchy fall leaves at our nature preserves as much as I do.

Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy is a not-for-profit organization with the mission to preserve and enhance the quality, scenic beauty, and ecological health of the Chautauqua region’s lands and waters for our community. For more information, visit chautauquawatershed.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.