Alex C. Velto Bat Conservation Area at Eagle Ridge
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Alex C. Velto Bat Conservation Area and Woodland Trail
Eagle Ridge Estates (Access from Kestrel Drive & Northern Lane) Evans Mills, NY The Alex C. Velto Bat Conservation Area at Eagle Ridge Village housing development is a unique place where conservation and recreation come together. |
A woodland trail that is open to the public also traverses the 15-acre
property, which also serves as a habitat for the Indiana bat, an
endangered species.
OBI Land Trust acquired the property in Evans Mills after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined in 2008 that the wooded parcel was being used as a foraging area by Indiana bats. It was determined that a nature trail would not disturb the bat habitat in the overhead tree cover and the recreational trail was opened a few years later.
Since then, the Alex C. Velto Conservation Area has become a popular place for joggers, children and dog-walkers from the nearby Eagle Ridge subdivision. Meanwhile, the foraging areas used by the small, night-flying creature – which is about the size of a small mouse - continue to thrive in the same woodland area.
The marked trail runs the length of the conservation area and can be accessed from the end of Kestrel Drive, at Eagle Ridge Housing Development, or from the end of Northern Lane.
Residents are asked to be respectful of the property and mindful that the area exists primarily for conserving bat foraging habitat. Hiking, birdwatching, leashed pets and passive recreational activities are permitted.
OBI Land Trust acquired the property in Evans Mills after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined in 2008 that the wooded parcel was being used as a foraging area by Indiana bats. It was determined that a nature trail would not disturb the bat habitat in the overhead tree cover and the recreational trail was opened a few years later.
Since then, the Alex C. Velto Conservation Area has become a popular place for joggers, children and dog-walkers from the nearby Eagle Ridge subdivision. Meanwhile, the foraging areas used by the small, night-flying creature – which is about the size of a small mouse - continue to thrive in the same woodland area.
The marked trail runs the length of the conservation area and can be accessed from the end of Kestrel Drive, at Eagle Ridge Housing Development, or from the end of Northern Lane.
Residents are asked to be respectful of the property and mindful that the area exists primarily for conserving bat foraging habitat. Hiking, birdwatching, leashed pets and passive recreational activities are permitted.
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Remembering Alex C. Velto
He is perhaps best known for the 17 years he spent as executive director of the Northern New York Community Foundation, but Alex C. Velto also was also an outdoorsman who valued conservation efforts in Northern New York.
OBI Land Trust’s unique conservation area at Eagle Ridge was formally named for him in October 2014, nearly five years after he died of cancer. Alex devoted much of his free time to the outdoors, where he enjoyed canoeing, hiking and bird watching. He was involved with several conservation organizations and during his years at NNYCF, his conservation interests helped organizations such as OBI to survive and continue their work. A plaque installed at the 2014 dedication ceremony bears a photo of Alex and the inscription, “A public-spirited advocate for both wildlife and humanity.” |
