Wolf Preserve is a 23-acre nature sanctuary, accessible trail system, and educational catalyst for the East End of Long Island. The property is one of Peconic Land Trust’s 91 nature preserves, and is their first fully accessible trail network on the East End of Long Island. Located between encroaching housing subdivisions, the Preserve gives everyone in the community an equal opportunity to enjoy and explore, including disabled individuals, school groups, and nature enthusiasts. The goal of the project was to create a universally accessible trail system for all visitors that would allow everyone to engage with the land at their own pace. 

The 1.5-mile trail network traverses native meadows, a deciduous forest, juniper groves and a freshwater wetland. Expanding on the Peconic Land Trust’s mission to connect individuals to the land, distinctive nodes were designed to enhance the five senses: tactile, auditory, visual, olfactory and gustatory. These carefully designed nodes focus on education, preservation, conservation and sustainability. 

Our design impacted the natural ecosystem as little as possible. By using extensive topographic analysis, our design minimized disturbance to the land and vegetation. Where existing trees fell into the path of the new trail network, only trees that were compromised or classified as invasive were removed, ensuring that the ecosystem would not be negatively impacted. The path was configured to allow visitors to view existing native flora and fauna while preserving these important resources, and all of this was done while maintaining accessible slopes and related standards.