Pralls Island natural area

Prall’s Island was originally a salt marsh until it was filled in during the 1930s with dredge material from the Arthur Kill. A complex native suite of plant communities emerged on the island after this point, including forested uplands, grasslands, and meadows, with a perimeter of high and low salt marsh. The isolation of Pralls Island makes it an ideal protected habitat for nesting wading birds. The island once hosted over 400 pairs of long-legged waders like herons, egrets, and glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus).

The island has experienced many human-caused and natural disturbances, including the Exxon Bayway oil spill in 1990, and a series of intense nor’easters. Long-horned beetle was discovered on the island in 2007, which resulted in the decision to removal almost all the trees on the island in an attempt to control the beetle's spread. Long-legged waders stopped nesting on the island in 2006. Subsequently deer moved onto the island and established a resident herd, and undesireable populations of mile-a-minute vine (Persicaria perfoliata) and European buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula) expanded.

Hurricane Sandy also flooded the island with salt water and marine debris. Despite the island’s challenging past, it still remains frequented by many species that prefer isolated woodlands, like red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), with open patches of blackberry (Rubus sp.), milkweed (Asclepias sp.), and tall grasses. The island provides refuge for migrating birds and nesting habitat for small passerines such as marsh wrens (Cistothorus palustris), gray catbirds (Dumetella carolinensis), and red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus). The shoreline is still fringed with salt marsh, offering refuge for fish and foraging grounds for wading birds.