The Fishers Island Conservancy is working to extend the success of its West End grassland restoration initiative, and in partnership with FIDCO, has begun a habitat restoration project on the East End near Middle Farms.

The roughly three-acre parcel is bordered on the northeast by Cedar Ridge Road and on the southwest by East End Road. Nature prepared the land for clearing in October 2018, when an F1 tornado touched down at Wilderness Point, cutting a swath across Fishers Island.

“The parcel was covered with many broken locust and cedar trees as well invasive plant species such as Chinese privet, buckthorn and bush honeysuckle,” Conservancy President Tom Sargent said.

“The first step was to rid the plot of these plants. As of now, most of the vegetation has been cleaned up, and the area is nearly ready to be planted with a native grassland and wildflower mix from Ernst Seeds of Pennsylvania. There will also be site specific tree plantings of oak, cherry, cedar and possibly chestnut, which are all species native to the Island.

“A curtain ‘wall’ of preexisting vegetation will remain along East End Road and will be removed at a later date, as the rest of the parcel grows in.

“We are proud to be working with FIDCO for a small, but very important piece of habitat restoration, as the Fishers Island Conservancy celebrates its 35th year.”