Saw Mill River Coalition Stewardship Groups
The Saw Mill River Coalition helps residents in establishing local river stewardship groups. Here you can find information on some of our most active stewardship groups. Inspired by their awesome work? Want to start your own Saw Mill River Stewardship Group? Click here to see our Model Stewardship Toolkit and let’s get to work!
Yonkers: Our community-based restoration site in Yonkers is between Executive Blvd. and Odell Ave. With support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Fish and Wildlife Service, the site went through initial clearing of invasive species and planting of native vegetation such as Willows and riparian shrubs which can support this important flood plain area.
South County Trail (Yonkers, Hastings-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Ardsley): The Hastings-On-Hudson stewardship group is the Saw Mill River Coalition’s oldest and most active groups. The group, led by the dedicated Saw Mill River hero Steve Pucillo, works along the South County Trail from Farragut Avenue and all the way up to the section north of Lawrence Street. Steve is an expert in the creation of “signature locations” – identifying specific locations where trail users could take a break, get off the paved path and closer to the river, sit down to rest and absorb the pristine magic of the flowing river. The groups projects include Steve’s handcrafted signs and birdhouses, benches, native tree plantings sites, butterfly gardens made by a group of Hasting high school students and seniors, dock houses, snowshoeing and cross-country ski paths, kayak launching platforms, the renewed Chauncey train stop and even an amazing cave the river flows through.
To join the group, please contact Steve Pucillo – stevesriver@gmail.com
Chauncey Park – Dobbs Ferry and Ardsley: This group formed in 2019 with the goal of promoting a new Dobbs Ferry village park for passive recreation use on a 14.8 acres site along the eastern part of the village between Southfield Avenue in the north and Danforth Avenue in the south where the old village of Chauncey once stood. In addition to the regulatory effort taking place for the promotion of this initiative, the group is leading stewardship efforts focusing on cleanups, floodplain restoration, restoring the main carriage path traversing the site, celebrating the history of the village of Chauncey and working to improve access to the site from the adjacent neighborhoods. For more information and to join the group please contact Michael Ford – hardmf@gmail.com
Pleasantville: The Pleasantville stewardship group, opened in 2019, is dedicated to removing invasive species around the Saw Mill River Parkway, organizing river cleanup events and developing access and recreation opportunities in the Pleasantville and Thornwood areas. For more information and to join the effort, please contact John Mueller – muellermen4@yahoo.com
