The Land

The Hollow

In Hudson Valley vernacular, a hollow is low-lying creek-side ground between higher terrain. The property slopes from a meadow ridge down through a forested transition into the creek basin — three distinct zones you walk through on a single trip along the boardwalk: open grassland, tree canopy, and water.

The site fronts Quaker Creek, a tributary of the Wallkill River, in the heart of Orange County's Black Dirt Region — one of the richest agricultural landscapes in the Northeast. The farms that supply the kaiseki kitchen are within a short drive. The Village of Florida sits at the edge of this region, where flat farmland meets the first wooded hills.

Aerial or elevated view showing the topographic relief — creek corridor at base, ridge rising east

The Wetland

A state-protected wetland anchors the western portion of the property. It's the reason the corridor looks and sounds the way it does — standing water in spring, dense native plant communities through summer, habitat for the eastern cricket frog (Acris crepitans), a documented endangered species on this site.

The boardwalk is built to leave the wetland intact. Helical piles — steel screws driven into the ground — support the deck above the root zone with no excavation. The water flows under the boardwalk the same way it did before the boardwalk existed.

Wetland basin in spring — green emerging, standing water, early-season plant growth

Eastern cricket frog in riparian habitat

Eastern cricket frog — close-up in riparian habitat

The eastern cricket frog is an endangered species in New York State, tied to exactly the kind of riparian habitat this property preserves. Barely an inch long. Documented on this site along Quaker Creek — one of a limited number of confirmed locations in the Hudson Valley.

Habitat protection on these eleven acres directly supports the species. The boardwalk, the wetland buffer, the native plantings — all designed around the conditions this frog requires.

The Boardwalk

14,000+ square feet of suspended composite boardwalk spanning the creek corridor. The deck sits above the wetland — dry footing over wet ground, eye-level with the canopy in summer, open sky in winter. Year-round access to a landscape most people would only see from a distance.

Self-guided access from dawn to dusk
Interpretive signage along the route
Yoga deck integrated into the network
Wheelchair-accessible primary loop
Different walk every season: wildflowers in spring, green tunnel in summer, color in fall, bare canopy and animal tracks in winter

Boardwalk perspective — morning light, horizontal framing, mist over the creek

Spring

Cricket frog chorus begins mid-April. Wildflowers on the slopes. Migratory birds returning to the corridor. The wetland basin fills and the green comes back fast.

Summer

Full canopy over the creek corridor. The boardwalk moves through a green tunnel. Evening fireflies. The longest days and the warmest water.

Autumn

Color arrives on the ridge first and descends into the basin. Migratory birds passing through. The meadow grasses go to seed. Frost sharpens the mornings.

Winter

Bare canopy opens the sky. Snow on the boardwalk. Animal tracks along the creek. The quietest version of the property — and the longest views.

Riparian Restoration

Native plant reestablishment along the Quaker Creek corridor. Invasive species mapped, removed, and monitored over time.

Water Quality Monitoring

Ongoing water quality sampling upstream and downstream — tracking the health of the creek and the broader Wallkill watershed.

Conservation Easement

Year 3+ target: permanent conservation easement on ~7 acres of riparian corridor in the Wallkill watershed.