It was a mild winter day, and we decided to take another walk in a local wetland preservation area.  We visited the Swift Wetland Preserve, a small nature conservation area in Delmar, New York, and for just a little while, we were able to get away from it all.

The Swift Wetland Preserve

The Swift Preserve is a small preservation area maintained by the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy located in the sprawling town of Delmar, New York.  At just 21.6 acres in size, is it nestled right within the heart of Delmar and offers approximately 1 mile of trails.  This area is a natural wetland.  However, suburban sprawl and the draining/filling of portions of the wetland to create suitable land for housing disturbed the natural wetlands.  As a result, 1 acre of land was returned to a wetland state and the surrounding lands were set aside by the Swift Group for preservation.

At times, you actually can forget that you are in a developed area.  It is only at the northern portion of the preserve, where houses abut the wetland area, that you remember that the Swift Wetland Preserve is right in town.

There are several bridges located in the preserve that allow you to pass over water outlets from the nearby creek.  The preserve also contains a small pond.

Signs of Life

As you follow the trails through the woods and over boardwalked sections, even in the dead of winter, there are signs of life. The kiosk at the beginning of the trail provides a lot of great information about what types of plants you might see on your walk.  The science department from Bethlehem High School located on the other side of Delaware Avenue from the preserve continually utilizes this wetland for educational purposes.

During our walk, we spotted all sorts of things, including some bright red winterberries, a tree that had been struck by lightning, and a small tree trunk that had been marked by a deer, or buck, with his antlers.

Where is it located?

The Swift Wetland Preserve is located off of Delaware Avenue and Evelyn Drive in Delmar, New York.  Parking is located at the end of Evelyn Drive.

Maps

You can find a wonderful map of the Swift Preserve at the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy’s website here.