Dear Friend of Quarry Park,
This spring, there is even more progress to report on the Wooded Bluff: the elevated forest area that connects Draper Park with Quarry Park as well as elsewhere in the park.
Restoration of the forest on the Bluff
Last fall, several dead, diseased and invasive trees were removed from the forest and many new native trees and shrubs were planted, under the supervision of arborist Peter Strom, who was retained by the Village of Hastings, under the provisions of a NYS community forestry grant.
This spring, an abundance of additional native trees, shrubs and other plantings were added to the bluff.
The scores of new plantings cascade down the slope extending from the new stone bench atop the Hudson River overlook to the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail. They also enhance the forested area on either side of the path linking Draper Park to the Langmuir Steps.
The stone bench area, donated to the park by Friends of Quarry Park last fall, has lots of new plantings, too, including some colorful native grasses.
Here are the new plantings that are busy taking root!
Trees:
Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
Allegheny Serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis)
Common Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
Shrubs:
Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra)
Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)
Nannyberry Viburnum (Viburnum lentago)
‘Gro-lo’ Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromatica ‘Gro-lo’)
Flowering Perennials:
Rough Leaf Goldenrod (Solidago rugosa)
Robin’s Plantain (Erigeron pulchellus)
Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum muticum)
Blue Wood Aster (Symphiotrichum cordifolium)
White Wood Aster (Eurybia divaricata)
Grasses and Sedges:
‘Shenandoah’ Switchgrass Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’)
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)
Pennsylvania Sedge (Carex pensylvanica)
Fox Sedge (Carex vulpinoidea)
Ferns:
Hay Scented Fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula)
The Langmuir Steps Restored
For years, we have hoped to improve access to the Wooded Bluff and the trail connecting it to Draper Park. The Langmuir Steps, a stone staircase dating from the original Quarry Park of the 1930’s, had been slowly excavated by neighbor volunteers over time but remained largely buried and some steps were broken or in disarray.
Even in disrepair, the steps, with their boulder surrounds, were cool and interesting, as they unfolded in various zig-zags, climbing up the hill.
However, now they are amazing! The Village, under the terms of the community re-forestation grant, retained Dominick Forcello, the stone mason who crafted the stone benches on the Bluff and who has made many improvements to Untermyer Gardens. Dominick and his crew dug out and restored the steps, revealing their beauty and keeping their character intact.
Here are some “before” and “after” photos.
Before:
After:
On the quarry floor
The older trees on the Terrace Grove (the elevated area in the center of the quarry floor) and all along the Birch and Dogwood Walk, have leafed out and the dogwoods brought an abundance of white blooms in the first week of June.
In total, there have been 100 new native trees planted in Quarry Park!
The low-mow meadows at the Amphitheater and on the Terrace Grove have come in nicely and in late June we’ll be able to take stock of the other meadow grasses and native perennials that were planted from seed last fall.
Growing native meadows, during the early years, while they are being established, requires care and maintenance. Temporaty fencing is up to preserve the meadows from foot traffic while the fragile new shoots emerge. We look forward to having it removed soon.
The Rose Bramble
The 1000 native Carolina rose bushes, reminiscent of the thousand rose bushes in the original park, are in bloom. While it is a challenge to curb the invasives, especially mugwort, this will be a special area of focus, going forward.
Enjoying the park
A group of students from Scarsdale High School, and their teachers had a recent field trip to Quarry Park. They studied the geology of the marble cliffs and scientifically verified that they are, indeed, made of dolomite marble.
Spring Thing 2026 in Hastings
Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by our display table to say hello, offer stories about the park and even the “before times” when it was a dump! A few told stories of the “bottomless” lake in the original park.
So many folks learned about the park for the first time and were interested in checking it out. Others knew it well and offered words of encouragement. It was great to join up with the many other “green” organizations dedicated to preserving the natural environment.
