Reliable Stewardship Fosters Sustainable Growth
New Parcel, Baker Woods Preserve South (BWP S), to be dedicated on August 4th, 2019.
The Baker Woods Preserve (BWP) began with a magnanimous 2015 donation of 354 acres of land to the Indian River Lakes Conservancy (IRLC). Situated in the Lewis County Town of Diana, near the village of Natural Bridge, the original acreage has since grown to nearly 600 acres bordering the upper reaches of the Indian River with a nine mile trail system.
Please join the IRLC and the Baker Woods Preserve Stewardship Team on Sunday August 4th at 3 PM to help dedicate our recent addition of 230 pristine acres and over five miles of canoe accessed trails.
A short history of our growth follows below:
2015: The original 354 acre Baker Woods Preserve (BWP), spanning the upper reaches of the Indian River, was donated to the Indian River Lakes Conservancy (IRLC) in 2015 thanks to the generosity and forward thinking of Doris and Norm Baker, who lovingly stewarded the land for over 40 years. Their gift of these resource rich and particularly scenic lands was assisted by the insight and efforts of IRLC Director, Ed Robertson and funding from the New York State Conservation Partnership Program.
2016: The original BWP trail system was dedicated in August 2016. The Baker Woods Preserve featured a parking area, kiosk, signage, canoe launch, approximately 3 miles of trails including a 2.7 mile loop, and a riverside observation deck. All of these accomplishments were done and/or directed by the BWP volunteer stewardship team over a period of several months. Funding for the project was provided by the New York State Conservation Partnership Program.
2017-18: The original BWP North trail system was expanded. New trails including Scraggy Spruce and Maebh's Meander, were added to expand access and integrate more natural geological formations. Picnic tables, benches, a pollinator garden, signage, a bulletin board and a privy were installed at the sign-in kiosk area.
2018-2019: New land added on the south side of the Indian River, Baker Woods Preserve South (BWP S). Ed Robertson, with assistance from IRLC director and BWP land steward Matt Carney, submitted a successful North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant application facilitating a 230 acre addition to the preserve on the south shore of the Indian River. Special thanks to Gary and Myra Dake and the Carney Family for their generous land contributions.
Significant funding remains available to IRLC in this cycle of the NAWCA grant and we hope to utilize those funds to add more land to the preserve around the confluence of the Indian River and Weatherhead Creek.
Extensive new trail work completed by the Carney, Nesbitt and Kerns families resulted in the five mile Dake Loop trail system featuring bog bridging, benches and signage. Materials for use in the new trails were made possible by the BWP Stewardship Fund created by Doris Baker.
2019: Improvements were made to original trails. An additional trail has been added, Tata’s Turnoff, which makes for a shorter x-country skiing loop and brings our total trail mileage in BWP North to 4 miles. Coniferous and Deciduous Tree ID guides were added. Pollinator garden plants were labeled.
August 4, 2019: The new trails (BWP S) will be open to the public during a 3 PM opening ceremony! Please consider joining us at the opening and on the trails.
Note: access to the newest trails across the river require a 250 yard paddle upstream from the canoe launch.
Happy hiking...and happy paddling.