Former Eastchester Councilwoman Honored for Efforts at Nature Preserve

To recognize her efforts to create a butterfly garden at the Nature Preserve of Bronxville, Tuckahoe and Eastchester, former Eastchester Councilwoman Vicki Ford has been honored with a plaque in her name.

The space at the 2.5 acre Nature Preserve, located at the corner of Crawford Street and Archer Place in Eastchester, has been named Olivia's Butterfly Garden in honor of Ford's birth name, Olivia ( Vicki is her nickname).

Ford explained that the area has seen massive renovations  after being used for decades as a leaf dump by the Village of Bronxville.

"The property was originally owed by the Alfredo family. They were in the nursery business," she said. "At the time of the World's Fair in Flushing Meadow, Mr. Alfredo won a landscaping contract and used surface soil from the nursery as the base for his plantings. As he excavated this excellent surface soil out, he allowed people to dump broken glass and other hazardous products on his property."

Years later, the family decided to sell the nursery property, which included a meadow, woods and a nature preserve. It was at that time that the nature preserve was used by Bronxville as an organic dumping area, which Ford said emanated strong odors and served as a home for rats as large as small dogs.

The current state of the Nature Preserve culminates from years of community efforts to restore the area to its former beauty.

Ford, who has volunteered at the Nature Preserve with her husband, Si, said that Olivia's Butterfly Garden is meant to not only attract butterflies, but is also an environmental center for learning.

"Many children from the Cottle School come over in the spring and do their artwork by capturing sights of nature that are interest of them," she said. "We're creating space to have birds, butterflies and plants that promote a natural environment to walk in and enjoy."

Ford also noted that with the help of Lynne Richy of in Eastchester, the vibrant plants that have been strategically placed in the butterfly garden will soon have labels. The labels will help people interested in growing butterfly-friendly plants to do so on their own properties.

"It's a small patch of land that's been reclaimed to demonstrate what's possible to do to promote a more healthy environmental approach to any space," she said. "People can take those ideas to their own homes."

Richy is currently installing new plantings in the garden, including Aster, Moonbeam-type Coriopsis, Liatris, Helianthus Salififolious, Verbena and Vernonia.  There are also plans to place stepping stones in the garden to give small children better access to the garden. Fruit trees, Sweet Woodruff plants and Butavalia bushes were already in the area.

With vibrant hues of orange, red and purple, Olivia's Butterfly Garden is already attracting Monarch and Painted Lady butterflies.