ENTS,
Here is a report on an old wooded area near Kennedy Park in North Syracuse:

Kennedy Park
Woods          
North Syracuse, NY              
4/3/2008

Kennedy Park Woods is a diverse second-growth forest in the
northern part of the village of North Syracuse east of South Bay Rd. across
from the end of Bear Rd. The site covers about 3 acres and is bounded on the
east by the new housing development behind Grove St. and behind Kennedy Park.
Kennedy Park Woods consists of a swampy hollow and dry ridge and hill on the
east and north sides. The most outstanding feature of the site is a grove of
about 13 large White Pines estimated to be about 90-100 feet tall and 100-150
years old in the hollow. The site is zoned for Business.

Robert Henry and I explored the site 4/3/2008.

Some trees examined in hollow:

White Pine 27.8” dbh

White Pine 30.1”
dbh leaning tree, 2 ascending trunks above breast height, largest Pine seen

  White Pine
21.7” dbh

White Pine 18.5” dbh

White Pine 28.8” dbh, deeply furrowed bark, massive roots

White Pine 29” dbh

Pit and mound topography caused by the decay of fallen
trees, is forming, and there are plenty of standing dead trees (snags), downed trees,
many old decaying stumps; also a thin but rough-barked Red Maple with huge
burls over 20 ft. up.

Old decayed Hemlock stump 35 rings on 1” intact radius,
total radius 5”

next to rugged Yellow Birch

Pole-sized Black Cherries have exfoliating bark.

Most Red Maples have rough old bark.

A few rare Canada Yews are scattered throughout the site.

White Pine seedlings sprout in canopy gaps.

Trees in hollow: Dominant: White Pine, Hemlock, Red Maple,
Yellow Birch

            Associate:
Black Birch, Beech, Black Cherry, Shadbush, Witch Hazel, White Cedar, Tamarack
(1 dead tree seen),

Hill to north of hollow overlooking I-81 interchange:

Tuliptree 27.9” dbh

Red Oak 26.1” dbh

Tuliptree 34” dbh at end of hill over I-81, biggest tree in
Kennedy Park Woods

2 big Hemlocks on hillside, 1 of them a dead snag

Trees on hill: Dominant: Red Maple, Red Oak, Beech

         Associate:
Hemlock, Tuliptree, Sassafras, Black Birch, Witch Hazel

The ridge extends on east side above hollow and faces the
housing development. There is a Sassafras grove where ridge and hill meet.

Trees on ridge:

Sassafras 13.5” dbh

White Ash 28.2” dbh balding bark, rugged crown

White Oak 30.5” dbh only White Oak on site

On the ridge is a Black Cherry with rugged twisting form,
big uprooted double-trunked Red Maple, Yellow Birch with old age platy bark.
Many of these rugged trees seem to be at least 150 years old.

Trees on ridge include Sassafras, Yellow Birch, Black Birch
(common), Red Maple, Black Cherry, White Oak.

To the south of the ridge is a swampy area with lots of
construction debris dominated by Cottonwood; other trees include Black Willow,
Black Ash, Curly Willow (escape from cultivation), Boxelder, Staghorn Sumach,
Scots Pine saplings,  Spruce and White Cedar seedlings.

Poison Ivy is plentiful throughout Kennedy Park Woods.

Kennedy Park Woods is the 3rd oldest forest in
the village of North Syracuse (after the old growth North Syracuse Cemetery Oak
Grove and Wizard of Oz Memorial Oak Grove). The oldest trees in Kennedy Park
Woods may date as far back as 1859 or earlier. Trees this old have historic
value and the White Pines in the hollow are especially beautiful. This is the
finest collection of White Pines in North Syracuse, and one of the finest
stands of White Pine in Onondaga County. This forest provides a vital
greenspace buffer between busy roads and the new housing development between it
and Kennedy Park. Preserving this beautiful historic forest should be a high
priority for the village of North Syracuse.

Tom Howard