North Ravine Restoration

UCPC's North Ravine Invasive Species Removal and Ecological Restoration Project

In March 2026 the Udalls Cove Preservation Committee was awarded a $125,000 grant from the New York State State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) to carry out our proposed North Ravine Invasive Species Removal and Ecological Restoration Project. The project has been funded by the NY State Environmental Protection Fund through a grant administered by the NYSDEC's Invasive Species Grant Program.

The project focuses on a 1.5 acre site in the North Ravine section of Udalls Cove Park. The area is completely dominated by several species of invasive shrubs -- Japanese Knotweed (a reedy plant that grows 8’-10’ feet tall); Multiflora Rose (a thorny shrub); and Porcelainberry Vine (which tangles over and around both the others). A number of invasive Norway Maple trees are also in the area. The aim of the restoration project is to remove the invasives and replant with appropriate native trees, shrubs and ground cover.

In the image, the central area outlined with cross-hatching is the project site. The LIRR tracks create the prominent diagonal line; Douglaston is on the left and Little Neck on the right.

The area cross-hatched in white is almost entirely occupied by invasive species, which have little ecological value. The smaller area crosshatched in yellow shows where the neighboring residents have illegally encroached into City-owned land, in violation of NYSDEC wetlands rules. The blue line is Gabler’s Creek which feeds Aurora Pond on the north side of the LIRR tracks and then continues out to Udalls Cove near Douglas Manor’s Memorial Field. The red line is the North Ravine Trail, created and maintained by UCPC. (The green cross-hatched areas are lands owned by the State but managed by the City Parks Department.)

The NYSDEC grant requires that we provide a 25% match, or $31,250. UCPC will cover that from a generous earlier $75,000 grant we received from the Con Edison Company. We are also using that Con Ed grant to pay for the professional design of the project by our contractor, GEI Consultants. We expect the design to be ready by the Summer of 2026, and we will then proceed to submit applications for wetlands permits from NYSDEC and construction and forestry permits from the NYC Parks Department. If all goes smoothly we could be in the construction phase of the project sometime in 2027. We will be reaching out to local stakeholders and residents to share information about the project as it develops. WATCH HERE FOR PROJECT UPDATES!