Fairview Park natural areas

Englewood Ave., W. Shore Expwy., Veterans Rd. W.

The 23.5-acre Fairview Park natural area lies in southwestern Staten Island and protects coastal hickory, red maple, and sweetgum swamp forests that are rare in New York State. Additional rare plants include American chestnut (Castanea dentata), a hybrid oak (Quercus spp.), and American strawberry bush (Euonymus americanus).

A high diversity of bird life can be found at Fairview; the adjacent Clay Pit Ponds State Park has been designated a New York State Bird Conservation Area with over 180 species of birds. Rare birds that breed at Fairview include yellow-breasted chat (Icteria virens), brown thrasher (Toxostoma rufum), and eastern towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus). Northern black racer (Coluber constrictor), woodland box turtle (Terrapene carolina), gray treefrog (Hyla versicolor) and spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) have breeding populations in the park. The small pond provides habitat for many species of dragonflies, including the New York State-rare comet darner (Anax longipes) and yellow-sided skimmer (Libellula flavida).

Fairview Park's trails include the Sandy Ground Trail (0.38 miles) and the Blue Trail (0.61 miles), which traverses most of the park from Sandy Ground Woods starting near the Bricktown Commons.