Note: Protectors' President Cliff Hagen sent this opinion piece to the Staten Island Advance. It was released on Earth Day, April 22, 2021, to remind and inform Staten Islanders that Protectors of Pine Oak Woods has had a long involvement in the efforts to prevent the loss of the Graniteville Wetlands. There is a growing chorus of newly engaged people calling out against development of the Graniteville Wetlands. These people are meeting and sharing and planning to battle the

by Don Recklies After our 296th scheduled Restoration Workshop, where over 20 volunteers helped clear vines off trees on and around Moses' Mountain, several of us took a walk back into Buck’s Hollow to check out the beaver site close to Buttonbush Swamp. Beavers are crepuscular and nocturnal animals, denning up in their lodges during the day, so there was little chance we would spot one, but what I call “pencil” stumps gave indisputable evidence of their presence. North Ameri

Four times a year, the environmental organization Protectors of Pine Oak Woods schedules a 10-mile walk throughout the Staten Island Greenbelt. These walks are named in honor of Dick Buegler and are called The Richard Buegler 10-Mile Greenbelt Walks. We have four signature routes, each for a different season, designed to highlight the best areas the Greenbelt has to offer. Springtime is an optimal time to spot wildlflowers in bloom, especially the pinxter azalea (Rhododendron

The visitor's bench we purchased and installed in honor of Dick Buegler and for the work he tirelessly did on behalf of Staten Island's parks and open space natural areas was dedicated on Sunday, May 2, at the Greenbelt Nature Center. ​ Guests and board members who knew Dick shared remembrances, both humorous and profound. Here is a video of the dedication. Thanks goes to Tony Rose and Charlie Olsen who were on hand to video the event.