How Would You Like To Know About a Short Stroll In An Oasis Of Nature?

The story begins in 1943 when the US Army bought or borrowed more than 2000 acres of land to create part of the world's largest port of embarkation for 1.3 million GI's going across the Atlantic Ocean to fight the nazi army. The site was named Camp Shanks.

7 acres of that Camp Shanks 2000 acres were where the trains were stored that took thousands of soldiers on the railroad that still runs into New Jersey where the giant ocean-going ships would take the Gi's to Europe to fight and die.

Some GIs were taken to the old railroad pier in Piermont where a ship took them also to the giant ships. By the way, the Piermont pier has a rich history and is also a great place to stroll to and enjoy the scene of the mighty Hudson River

After the war, the 7 acres was ignored, just asphalt and train rails/ tracks. Many years later these 7 acres of a 14 acres parcel were declared surplus for any not-for-profit organization that would use it for homes for the homeless. Ergo, the "Rockland Homes For Heroes" was created as a not-for-profit charity dedicated to building and operating homes for homeless veterans. In the process the determination was made to limit the number of homes to just 22 by just using the abandoned NIKE Missile Program Headquarters site built in the 50s, which we are doing as you read this.

Simultaneously Orangetown's Highway Department head Jim Dean and the ORANGETOWN TOWN BOARD visionalized using that the 7 acres of asphalt and steel train rails could be used to dramatically improve than enormous part of Orangetown environment. The bottom line is that both Orangetown and Rockland Homes For Heroes became partners in making Orangetown a better place to live and in so doing creating an oasis of nature that can be enjoyed by simply walking around on the short path. Read what good it is doing in the words of the Town.

"Green infrastructure improves water quality by reducing and treating stormwater at its source through infiltration and evapotranspiration.

Green infrastructure also provides multiple environmental, economic, and social benefits, which include: filtering pollutants, recharging aquifers, rivers and streams, alleviating flooding, preserving wildlife, restoring habitat, cooling the surrounding environment, reducing air pollution, and decreasing energy usage.

The Homes for Heroes green infrastructure project consists of the development of a 3.6-acre extended detention shallow wetlands that will act as a water quality and quantity treatment basin for the surrounding 151-acre contributing drainage area. This site is part of the former Camp Shanks site, which operated from 1943-1956. The existing building at the north end of the site and the asphalt covered areas were removed. The project involves redirecting a tributary to the Sparkill Creek into the newly developed wetlands. Sparkill Creek is listed by the EPA as a 303(d)-impaired creek, with pollutants of concern being high levels of suspended solids, phosphorous, nitrogen, pathogens and metals. This project is part of a required restoration strategy that redirects a tributary to the Sparkill Creek through the wetlands and significantly reduces, if not mitigates the pollutants of concern.

A perimeter walking trail provides public access around the wetlands.

New vegetation planted includes a majority of plants selected from Appendix H of the New York State Stormwater Management Design

Water quantity treatment is provided by the storage volume within the basin and the outlet control structure orifice which limits the rate at which water can leave the basin

The design of the planting for this wetland includes a selection of native grasses, perennials, shrubs, and trees that are suited for a wetland habitat. They provide not only seasonal interest with their color and form, but also attract pollinators and birds to the area and promote biodiversity. The plant palette includes such plants as Pontederia cordata, Peltandra virginica, Calamagrostis canadensis, Asclepias incarnata, and Myrica pensylvanica. Each color on this plan represents a different species of plant."

Try it out. You will not be disappointed.