One of my favorite places to take the dogs for a long walk is the famous Rockefeller Preserve in the hamlet of Pocantico Hills.  The park’s primary activities include hiking, running, fishing and horseback riding.  The Preserve has been designated as an “Important Bird Area” with over 180 species known by the National Audubon Society.  The park features many trails and a lake which is an ideal location for an easy 1 mile walk.

To say that the history of the park is rich one is an understatement. The land was donated by the Rockefeller family of Standard Oil fame. Over 1000 acres have been dedicated to the State of New York since 1983.  It is with a sense of irony that the family who built an oil empire has in subsequent generations dedicated itself so ardently to wild-life preservation and land conservation.  John D. Rockefeller  - the founder of Standard Oil originally owned the land as part of the family estate which includes the 40 room mansion Kykuit.   John D. Rockefeller’s grandson, Nelson Rockefeller –  later became  Governor of New York and Vice President of the United States under Gerald Ford.  More recent history has former President Bill Clinton as a frequent visitor to the Preserve.  I’ve seen David Rockefeller walking and riding in various parts of the Preserve during my fairly frequent visits.

The park abuts the Old Croton Aqueduct State Park and the famous Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. The trails include public land and land privately owned by the Rockefeller’s to this day.  These trails are open to the public and provides a walking path to the Stone Barns Center for Food and  Agriculture.  The Stone Barns are run by David Rockefeller and his daughter, Peggy Dulany.  The facility promotes sustainable agriculture and visitors can enjoy a cuisine that utilizes local ingredients with produce from the four season farm (that produces food in winter through their greenhouse.)   In a largely urban/suburban area the facility promotes conservation and the ability for city dwellers to see a working farm. 

The park has regular activities for all ages. For example, the “Young Naturalist Programs” are designed for children from 7-11 years of age. On Feb. 10, 2008  “The Young Naturalist” program will host “For the Birds” from 1:30-3:30 PM.  The program will look at bird feeding and some of the common birds that  frequent bird feeders and the type of seeds that attract them. Participants will create their own feeders.  This is a great one for the kids!

For adults there will be a Ground Hog Day Hike from 10:00-12:00 AM where the emphasis will be searching for animals that stay active during the winter and how they survive.

For dog-lovers, pets are welcome, but MUST remain leashed.  This is particularly vital due to the runners and horseback riders that frequent the trails.  There is nothing worse than a loose dog spooking a horse with a rider on it!  So keep your dog leashed or you will be asked to leave. Nevertheless, it provides wonderful trails for you and Fido.  My dogs LOVE the Rockefeller Preserve and Buddy gets so excited, he starts howling when we get near (he KNOWS the route.) 

One fine day, when I first had Harley (my recently deceased Doberman mix)  some friends of mine and I went for a walk in the Preserve. What her former owner failed to tell me is that the Newfie in her  LOVED to swim….She was a very strong girl and suddenly she broke free and jumped into Swan Lake and decided to go duck hunting!  I was frantic and several preserve officials were also worried. She still had her leash attached.  She swam the entire lake several times before coming happily ashore.  All I could see at times were her ears sticking up out of the water.  When she came ashore, she came directly to me as if to say “What’s all the fuss about – I was having a ball! It was a great swim!”  Anyway, it never happened again – hard as she tried!