Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

The Red House Administration Building houses excellent natural history displays depicting the animals and plants found in the park. There are large and small displays which contain, among other animals, a North American black bear, a piebald dear and an albino woodchuck.

The Long Island Interpretive Center is home to the Regional Environmental Education Team of environmental educators. Schools, youth organizations and special interest groups can make arrangements for interpretive programs and hikes at any of the State Parks on Long Island by calling this

Caleb Smith State Park offers environmental education programs year round for all ages. The nature museum is in the Smith Family home built in 1751. Nature trails lead you through a variety of habitats typical of the north shore of Long Island where many species of plants and animals are found.

Enjoy interactive natural and cultural history exhibits and learn about the Preserve environment from an environmental educator. Interpretive panels detail the history of the Preserve and its use by the Lenape, the Free Blacks of Sandy Ground, the clay-miners, and organic farmer Herbert Gericke. Artifacts from the Lenape, early Dutch settlers, and Kreischer bricks are on display as well as specimens of animals native to Staten Island's south shore. Just outside the Center, these animals and other flora and fauna await visitors, as trails wander among meadows, forests, wetlands, streams and to Sharrotts Pond.

The Interpretive Center offers environmental education programs year round for schools at all grade levels. The Center also offers interpretive programs for youth organizations and the general public including guided nature hikes, Evening Wildlife Walks, Young Scientist, and Budding Artist Programs. Throughout the year, public programs and rotating displays celebrate the seasons.

There are lots of fun things for children to enjoy. Inside the center, children can get up close and personal with live animals, enjoy the touch discovery station, look through a children's stereoscope or play in the kid's activity area. Contact the Interpretive Center staff for more information on public, school, scout or camp programs.

See the beautiful butterfly gardens or take a nature walk around the lagoon and experience Beaver Island's diverse wildlife. Panel displays describe the local wildflowers, trees and mammals. Hands-on exhibits are also displayed throughout the center. Live pond display is available in season.

Evangola State Park is located in Brant, New York. This 733 acre park opened in 1954. Formerly farmland, the land was used to grow tomatoes, beans and corn. Evangola's major attraction from the beginning was it's arc-shaped shore-line and natural sand beach. The park has a variety of habitats including lakeshore, woodland, meadow and wetlands. Wildlife in the park includes white-tailed deer, raccoons, turkey, and red-tailed hawks. Over 100,000 people visit this park each year!

The Fort Niagara Nature Center is located adjacent to the state park's swimming pool complex, and just down the road from the Old Fort Niagara State Historic Site. The nature center is open seasonally, and offers exhibits and educational programs 

The Nature Center at Moreau Lake features numerous wildlife mounts, pelts, skulls and other ephemera. Park staff lead numerous nature-based recreation programs for children and adults year-round, including hiking, biking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing on over 20 miles of trails.

The nature center is located near the shore of Thompson's Lake in Albany County. Exhibits and displays include a geologic model of the Helderberg Escarpment, a live honeybee observation hive, bird viewing area, fossils, furs and other hands-on collections.

Taconic Outdoor Education Center is nestled in the Hudson Highlands within Fahnestock State Park. TOEC provides environmental education, retreats, team-building, maple sugaring, outdoor recreation, and public programs.

Open year-round, the Center's secluded forested hills provide a comfortable learning atmosphere for schools, scouts, clubs, businesses and community groups. Visitors stay for the day or spend the night. No matter which they choose, they benefit from a helpful and knowledgeable staff, inviting facility, and excellent meal service.

Highland Lodge has a wood-burning stone fireplace and nature displays. Rustic comfortable cabins are available to groups for overnight stays, allowing all visitors to be immersed in the outdoors.

The nature center is one of the largest nature centers in the state park system and in New York State. It sits on a peninsula of Wellesley Island in the middle of the St. Lawrence River overlooking Eel Bay, a unique habitat of the St Lawrence River and a prime duck migration area well known for fishing.

The Nature Center at Robert Moses State Park is one of New York's most unique environmental education facilities. Rooms are filled with live animals, a variety of aquaria, over 100 mounted animals, and the indoor honey bee observatory, giving visitors a close up look at the amazing world of bees.