Great Baehre Swamp facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Great Baehre Swamp |
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| Nearest city | North Tonawanda |
The Great Baehre Swamp is a special natural area in Erie County, New York. It's a type of wetland found in the Town of Amherst. A wetland is a place where the land is covered by water, like a swamp or marsh.
This swamp is about 270 acres (1.1 km²) in size. It's mostly filled with silver maple and ash trees. A big part of the swamp is a conservation area. This means it's protected by the town and New York State.
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Discover Great Baehre Swamp
Great Baehre Swamp is a wonderful place to explore nature. It helps protect plants and animals that live in wetlands. It also plays a role in controlling floods.
A Look Back in Time
The Great Baehre Swamp is a tiny piece of something much bigger. About 11,000 years ago, a huge body of water called Glacial Lake Tonawanda covered this region. The swamp is a small leftover from that ancient lake.
Long ago, in the early 1800s, a road called Hopkins Road was built here. Because the ground was very wet and muddy, they had to build it as a corduroy road. This type of road is made by laying logs side-by-side.
Protecting Nature
Most of the Great Baehre Swamp is protected land. This means people can visit and enjoy it. However, some parts of the swamp are privately owned. Always ask for permission before going onto private land.
Billy Wilson Park
Billy Wilson Park is a 48-acre park next to the western part of the swamp. The Town of Amherst owns and takes care of this park.
Years ago, a small part of the park was a town dump. This was from the 1920s to the 1960s. But in 1989, the area was cleaned up and turned into parkland. Now, Billy Wilson Park has boardwalks and trails. These paths let you see nature up close. The park is also designed to help people with disabilities.
You can find the entrance to Billy Wilson Park on Hopkins Road. It's just north of Klein Road in Amherst. The park was renamed in 2014. It honors Army Staff Sgt. William "Billy" Wilson III. He was a brave soldier who died in Afghanistan in 2012. Before that, it was called Margaret Louise Park.
Great Baehre Swamp Wildlife Management Area
The Great Baehre Swamp Wildlife Management Area is a 270-acre area. It's managed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). A wildlife management area is a place set aside to protect wild animals and their homes.
Most of this area, about 260 acres, is shrub swamp and wetlands. The rest is grassland and brush. You can usually park and get into this area through Billy Wilson Park.
NYSDEC bought this land in 1989. Since then, they have made it even better. They built a 1,300-foot (400 m) boardwalk. This boardwalk connects with Billy Wilson Park. The main goal of managing this area is to help wildlife. They work to improve the populations of animals and their natural homes.
