Marshlands Conservancy

            Marshlands Conservancy is a wildlife sanctuary and nature preserve situated on the west end of Long Island Sound in Rye, New York.  It was dedicated as a sanctuary in 1972 and is a part of the Westchester County Parks system.  The site is 65 hectares (160 acres) in size and contains extensive upland and wetland habitats.  Upland habitat is comprised of both forest and meadow.  There are islands of upland woods in the salt marsh.  Most of the wetland habitat is salt marsh.  The Jay family owned the site.  John Jay’s childhood home was here and it is the site of the Jay Cemetery.  Peter Augustus Jay built the house on the property in 1838. It is now a museum of architecture.  The Devereux family donated the property in 1967 to be preserved and remain as open space. 

Because the site is a sanctuary and is protected, there are rules that must be followed when visiting.  These rules are designed to protect the habitat and the plants and animals so that they can function in a natural environment.  When visiting the site please do the following:

·       Stay on the trails.  Do not venture into the marsh.

·       Do not bring food onto the trails.

·       Try to be quiet and do not disturb the animals or other visitors.