The Land Alliance was thrilled to add Saunders Woods to our ever-growing list of preserves in 2023. This generous land donation was made by the Saunders family, long time Matinecock residents and proponents of land conservation. When the Saunders first approached the Land Alliance about donating the property we knew this would be a big conservation win for the community. Located in the Village of Matinecock, Saunders Woods is comprised of 12 acres of vacant, forested land quietly set back from Piping Rock Road.

The property holds many important conservation values. High on the list is the property’s location within the Kaintuck Brook watershed, one of Long Island’s most biodiverse and ecologically valuable areas. Kaintuck Brook drains into Mill Neck Creek and subsequently the Long Island Sound. Protecting the property also preserves habitat for many native flora and fauna including red oak, tulip tree, American holly, spice bush, Canada mayflower, Jack-in-the-pulpit, Solomon’s seal, woodpeckers and red fox. The new preserve provides connectivity to 15 acres of preserved woodland and meadows owned by the North Shore Wildlife Sanctuary, which connects to the back fields at Friends Academy.

Over the winter, the Land Alliance surveyed the property to establish clear boundary lines so encroachment issues could be identified and resolved. This summer Land Alliance staff will design and build a trail system. In the not-too-distant future, we hope to open those new trails to the public.

We are grateful to the Saunders family for trusting that their conservation legacy would be upheld under Land Alliance ownership. In many ways the donation is a quiet tribute to Thomas A. Saunders III, who passed away in 2022. Mr. Saunders was raised in Virginia and had great admiration for Thomas Jefferson and his affinity for nature. In fact, one of Mr. Saunders’ favorite Jefferson quotes was “No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden.”