Natural Resources and the Fjord Trail
Our Commitment to Ecological Restoration
At Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail, we see restoration not as a single project, but as an ongoing relationship with the landscape. The trail passes through several unique and biodiverse ecological communities, each of which we are dedicated to protecting and enhancing. Our work focuses on understanding these ecosystems, reducing the impact of invasive species, and strengthening native plant communities so they can thrive for generations to come. All of this work is carried out under HHFT's management agreement with New York State Parks (OPRHP), and is guided by their policies, permits, and natural resource stewardship priorities.
Our Restoration Process
Restoration at HHFT follows a cyclical, evidence-based process that ensures we’re always learning and improving. Each phase builds on the one before it, and we adapt our approach as we gain new insights from monitoring and data collection. The Fjord Trail's model for restoration, used in collaboration with Parks and regional partners, is pictured below.
THE FJORD TRAIL RESTORATION CYCLE
Restoration in Action: Our Projects
Floristic Quality Assessments (FQAs)
Every restoration decision begins with understanding what’s already thriving in an area and what may need some support. Floristic Quality Assessments (FQAs) are detailed ecological surveys that evaluate the integrity of native plant communities using a standardized scientific index. By documenting each species and its C-value (a measure of how indicative it is of high-quality, undisturbed habitat), we can calculate a Floristic Quality Index (FQI) that reflects the site’s ecological condition.
FQAs have already been conducted at Little Stony Point and Breakneck's Upper Overlook. These FQAs help establish a quantitative baseline of biodiversity before any restoration begins. They are the foundation for our future management decisions and, in the years ahead, repeating these assessments will allow us to measure change over time: whether native species richness increases, whether non-native cover declines, and ultimately, how effectively our restoration strategies are working.
Volunteer Program
Our volunteers are the hands and hearts of HHFT’s restoration work. In collaboration with the Lower Hudson PRISM (Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management) and Trillium Invasive Species Management, with support from New York-New Jersey Trail Conference and Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve staff, these trained volunteers spend their time identifying, tracking, and removing invasive plants that threaten native ecosystems along the Fjord Trail corridor.
At Breakneck’s Upper Overlook, volunteers have hand-pulled dense patches of an emerging invasive species, Asiatic dayflower (Commelina communis). Asiatic dayflower is a fast-spreading annual that can smother forest understories and outcompete native seedlings. Volunteers’ careful, low-impact removal of these plants directly supports the regeneration of native species, which will be measured by ongoing FQA work (supported as well by volunteers).
Native Seed Nursery
To sustain ecological restoration across the Trail corridor, we’ve established a Native Seed Nursery that will serve as both a propagation hub and a long-term investment in local biodiversity. The nursery will focus on cultivating regionally sourced native species, grasses, sedges, wildflowers, and shrubs collected in partnership with Trillium Invasive Species Management and other local partners. These species are selected not only for their ecological importance, but also for their genetic suitability to thrive in the Hudson Highlands’ unique soils, microclimates, and topography.
HHFT’s nursery will allow us to directly source high-quality, site-appropriate plants for future restoration projects throughout the Trail Corridor, ensuring that every restored landscape is rooted in the ecology of the Highlands. Over time, this cornerstone initiative will create a self-sustaining cycle of restoration, from seed collection to propagation to reintroduction.
See an example of the guidelines HHFT is following for this process (excerpt on Oak Tulip Forest restoration) →
Excited about HHFT's ecological stewardship work? Help support our efforts with a donation today!
Your gift before June 30 directly restores and protects the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail corridor:
$50 – Buys tools and safety gear for volunteer invasive removal days (plus, with a gift at this level or above you receive a backyard native pollinator seed mix!)
$150 – Provides care and shelter for salvaged native plants during construction (plus, with a gift at this level or above you receive an HHFT canvas tote bag!)
$500 – Plants and establishes native meadows in newly restored habitats
$1,000 – Funds a full season of scientific monitoring, vegetation surveys, and wildlife tracking
$5,000 – Fully funds a priority restoration area, from invasive eradication to native seeding
We're so grateful for your support!
If you are an organization, individual, or entity interested in conducting ecology research or collaborating with HHFT on our natural resources efforts, please reach out to David Junga, Natural Resources Coordinator, at djunga@hhft.org.
