Preservation: Protecting IMPORTANT ECOSYSTEMS

As a large landowner in the southern Finger Lakes Emerald Necklace Region, Ithaca College has an important role to play in land conservation, alongside the New York State Parks system, the U.S. Forest Service, the Finger Lakes Land Trust, and Cornell University.

The ecosystems of ICNL are predominantly forests at a range of ages, with many large trees more than 200 years old. There is a perennial stream, several ephemeral streams, two constructed wetlands, shrublands and meadows at various stages of succession. These ecosystems support diverse communities of flora and fauna, with some species and assemblages recognized as rare within the state or region. Two conservation easements protect 85 acres of ICNL in perpetuity.