About

This page provides a detailed look into plans to restore and beautify the lower Burke Estate.

The property has changed significantly over the years. As seen in our History of the Burke Estate page, the estate was formerly an open meadow, which had a lazy stream emptying into a small duck pond.

Within only the past few decades, native biodiveristy has collapsed in the Burke. Species like Cattails and Spring peepers were documented as recently as 2005 but now are completely extirpated.

The major causes of this issue include

• Human intervention - such as litter, land movement, and planting of unsuitable species

• Pollution and chemical contamination- insecticide spraying during the West Nile epidemic, runoff from nearby roads and greenspaces

• Invasive species

See the sections below to learn more about the ways we are working towards a restored Burke Estate.

Restore Native Biodiversity

Experimental Controls

The Hastings Vine Squad has demonstrated effective controls on many invasives - such as cutting and pulling. These tried and true methods are our first line of defense at the Burke.

Other non-chemical methods of invasive mitigation exist, but the efficacy is not yet known in our environment. The Burke Estate provides a wonderful opportunity to pair with the school in experimenting with these methods to determine whether it can be used locally.

The current methods are currently being experimented with:

Live Native Planting

With the massive infestation of invasive species in the Burke, we risk the riparian, wetland, and stream ecosystems being disrupted by both the invasives and their removal.

Replanting live trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants, allows us to intentionally manage the ecosystem to maintain appropriate health and quality.

Native Seed Dispersal

Casting native seeds builds up a bank of both annual and perennial plant stock, which persist in the soil until germination is triggered. Tearing out invasive plants leaves an opening in the ecosystem which must be filled, and native plants will often rejoin that role if they are given the opportunity. Casting seeds is a cost-effective way of helping that process speed up.

The following seeds are being considered for dispersal:

Involve Community

Mount Signs

How can anyone love what they can't see? By mounting signs we can eliminate 'nature blindness', allowing people to see the value of the Lower Burke Estate with fresh eyes.

Advertise Park

The Lower Burke is a local secret - many people don't know it even exists. That should be remedied! Through pamphlets at the community center, articles in local news, booths at community events, and posts on social media, we can let people know what's there waiting for them.

Connect with Existing Community Groups

Many ecologically minded people already live in our community, and are involved in various environmental groups. Relationships with these community groups should be built and maintained. Together we can do more than we could apart.

Support School Activities

The Burke is an asset to the School. Aside from the playing fields, the lower burke has a range of ecosystems and historical artifacts. These should be made known and available to the school.

Beautify the Park

Collect Litter

Litter has been accumulating in the park for over a hundred years. Hot spots include:

• Along Broadway - motorists throw trash out of their windows

• Near bus stop - passengers leave refuse behind before boarding the bus

• Beside walking routes - trash is thrown on the ground by pedestrians as they walk the paths

• In Common Reed beds - bottles and food containers are thrown deep into the reed

A place where trash collects is a dump, and until we collect the trash on the Burke it will continue being thought of as a dump.

Clear paths

Native vegetation has begun to block paths in the estate. The common reed infestation continues to spread outward, making routes impassible. Trees have dropped limbs onto walkways. Roses and poison ivy have made former walkways hazardous to traverse. 

Each of these issues must be mitigated in order to maintain necessary paths. If the Burke cannot be accessed, it will never be valued. 

Expose Existing Stone Features

Walls, ponds, culverts, and bridges can be found throughout the park. These historic stone features are currently collapsed and covered by invasive vine growth. They should be exposed, restored, and marked, so that they can be appreciated by our community.

Establish Compost Bins

Yard waste is currently being dumped on the perimeter of the property. Composting is a valuable ecological tool which should be encouraged, therefore we should capture this yard waste into marked compost zones where it can be managed systematically.

Mount Benches and Trash Cans

There is no place to sit or throw away trash in the lower Burke Estate. This has encouraged littering, and discouraged passive recreation - if you have no place to sit, how long will you stay and enjoy the area? 

Make Park Accessible

Accessing the lower Burke is difficult. Typically it requires walking from the upper Burke Estate, crossing Route 9 without crosswalks, or walking through poison ivy. For those who have limited mobility, the park is inaccessible. 

• Make crosswalks across route 9

• Create an accessible drop-off point at the Broadway gate

• Construct ADA compliant boardwalks, so that anyone can enjoy this beautiful area - and as a bonus, protect the delicate wetland environment from uncontrolled pedestrian access.

Create Culture of Stewardship

Run Workshops

The Burke can be used as an educational venue to learn about the preservation and cultivation of ecological spaces, and thereby model how the public can relate to the park moving forward.

Workshops which could be run include:

• Native gardening

• Invasive identification & removal

• Animal habitat protection - such as birdhouses and pollinator plants

Mount Invasive Signs and Collection Points

The management of invasive species needs to occur at a local level - with everyone lending a hand in both spotting infestations and removing existing invasive stands.

Many people don't know what plants are native or invasive. By mounting signs clearly explaining how to ID an invasive plant, we enable the public to get involved in protecting their own local ecology. Collection points (such as trash cans or bins) also further encourages individuals to seek out and remove these plants.

Connect with School Classes 

The Burke Estate belongs to the school, and the school's students can use this property to connect their classes to real-world settings. 

Monitor and Assess Efficacy

Ecological interventions should always be results driven and science based. Data points such as wildlife censuses, vegetation density and population, environmental conditions, and water quality reports,  shall be used to determine if a given intervention is efficacious within the setting of the park.