Sunken Forest: Ancient woodland on a barrier beach
FROM EXPLORELI.COM
Even migrating birds may do a double take when they spy the dense 40-acre woodland on windswept Fire Island.
The rare Sunken Forest developed at Sailors Haven because a double line of oceanfront dunes formed there over the centuries, providing extra protection against the gales. First grass, then hardy shrubs and scrub pines, then hardwood trees took root until now the gully between the dunes is filled with an old-growth forest snarled with briars and vines.
Its bogs support vegetation such as ferns and swamp maple more common to freshwater wetlands, but ground cover is rare due to both the ever-chomping deer and the sun-blocking overhead canopy. (Predominant giants include American holly and sassafras, the latter notable for producing leaves of several different shapes on a single tree.) The entire forest is pruned even with the top of the primary dune by the salt spray - which ironically also provides nutrients.
A 1.5-mile round-trip boardwalk weaves across this forest primeval, a bay-side spur threads through head high marsh grass. You can explore on your own or take a ranger-led walk. But you must stay on the boards or the alternate beach trail - to protect the environment and to lessen your chance of a brush with poison ivy or deer ticks. Winged wildlife, depending on the season, can range from butterflies to falcons.
The forest starts just steps from the ferry dock, which in summer is also the terminus for beachgoers who prefer a less hectic Fire Island experience. Sailors Haven - which offers swimming in July and August (with lifeguards, bathhouses, showers, snack bar and a visitor center) - is one of the three nonresidential Fire Island National Seashore destinations. The island's various populated enclaves, of course, offer their own brands of wildlife.
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