Isle of Meadows Preserve

Borough: Staten Island

Acres: 100

Habitat Type: Meadow, Salt Marsh

Map: PDF

Isle Of Meadows is located at the mouth of the Fresh Kills Estuary where it empties into the Arthur Kill. Along with Prall’s and Shooters Islands, Isle of Meadows is part of the Harbor Heron’s Wildlife Refuge. This natural area provides important nesting habitat for the once declining populations of herons, ibis, and egrets in the New York Harbor Estuary. Without a stable nesting area birds such as the little blue heron (Egretta caerulea), black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), and yellow-crowned night heron (Nyctanassa violacea) would not thrive in the New York Harbor.

A 1995 survey by the New York City Audubon Society documented that the harbor herons area supported 57% of the state's cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis), 21% of the state's great egrets (Ardea albus), 28% of the state's snowy egrets (Egretta thula), 57% of the state's black-crowned night herons, and 35% of the state's glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus).

Directions

Isle of Meadows Preserve is not currently accessible to the public.