Deer Drive to Take Place in Hillside Woods on March 16th
The deer drive is part of the Hillside Woods Restoration Project
by Janine Annett
Hastings-on-Hudson – As part of the Hillside Woods Restoration Project, volunteers will help drive deer out of a 30-acre exclosure in Hillside Woods on March 16th (rain date: March 17th). The Conservation Commission is hoping to recruit at least 100 volunteers to help with the deer drive.
Volunteers will be asked to walk slowly and quietly from one end of the fenced-in area of Hillside Woods to the other, gently guiding the deer to the exit of the protected area. After the deer drive, the exit will be closed to protect the area from further deer damage.
The deer exclosure in Hillside Woods is designed to protect 30 acres of the woods from deer, while “S” gates” allow people and small animals to enter and exit the protected area.
Because the protected area is only about 10% of the contiguous forested area, which includes Children’s Village and Hillside Woods, the deer won’t be expected to leave the wooded area entirely, according to Haven Colgate of the Hastings-on-Hudson Conservation Commission.
The deer drive is part of the Hillside Woods Restoration Project, which is intended to restore a healthy forest ecosystem to Hillside Woods. The problems in Hillside Woods include a lack of biodiversity, infected trees, invasive plants, and a lack of healthy new plants growing. An overpopulation of deer (which have thrived due to their lack of natural predators) in the area has contributed to many of these issues, as the deer have destroyed many of the native plants in the area.
“The Hillside Woods Restoration Project seeks to remediate the thoroughly dilapidated condition of our local forest preserve's ecosystem,” Colgate says. “It also educates the public about the dire state of the woods. The project started 8 years ago with the realization that the forest ecosystem is essentially collapsing. Through a DEC grant, we conducted an inventory and management plan (2017-2018), which recommended the exclosure that the Village has recently installed. The exclosure was paid for by county and state grants, and all involved are eager to see how this project may bring at least one section of the woods back to health.”
Adults and teens (ages 15-18, with parental permission) can participate in the deer drive. Training and coordination will be provided to volunteers. Interested parties can attend a community meeting (to be held over Zoom) on March 13th at 7 pm. Advance registration is required.
The deer drive will start at 10 am (assembling at 9:30 am in the Hillside Elementary School parking lot) and is expected to wrap up by 12:30 pm.
For questions about this project, email hillsidewoods@hastingsgov.org.