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Daniel R. Davis Preserve

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The gate to this preserve remains locked. Please call for the combination: 631-367-3225 The 1.4 miles worth of trails are open for hiking and observing nature from dawn to dusk. The sanctuary is a great place for hiking and exploring Long Island’s glacial legacy and its rare and fascinating community of plants and animals. Many adaptations necessary to survive in this harsh ecosystem are on display the pitch pine. Like many pine barrens plants, the tree produces flammable oils, waxes and resins that actually help promote wildfires. In fact, a pitch pine will literally explode when resin pockets are ignited during an intense fire. Look for trees with charred bark, evidence of a recent fire. A severe fire will kill the upper branches but only char, not burn, a pitch pine’s thick, insulating bark. Many of the trees have a gnarled appearance, the result of losing and resprouting their crowns following fires. If periodic wildfires did not occur, tall oaks would take over and the pine barrens plants would not be able to survive.

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Things To Do

Nature
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