Archive: Around Town

Cornell Plantations recently acquired a biologically significant 10-acre parcel at the headwaters of Cascadilla Creek, which is now part of its Ringwood Ponds Natural Area.  The purchase was made possible through a bargain sale and gift from John Semmler, and with financial support from the Town of Dryden.  With this acquisition, Plantations extended its protection to an area that has been long recognized for supporting locally and regionally important natural resources.

The Ringwood Ponds Natural Area is noted for its complex, rolling glacial topography, with steep slopes, kames, eskers, kettle hole ponds, and forested wetlands. The landscape is dominated by maple-beech forest, with smaller areas of oak-hickory, hemlock, and red maple swamp forest.  A large part of the forests have not been logged for over 130 years, and are considered near old-growth.

Plantations’ conservation efforts at Ringwood Ponds began in 1934 with the gift of 114 acres by the Lloyd Library and Museum of Cincinnati, Ohio.  Additional donations and acquisitions have now brought the total protected holdings to 230 acres.  The new preserve addition was dedicated on May 24, 2014, and will be known as the Andrew Semmler Tract, named in memory of John Semmler’s son.

Andrew Semmler was a young man who enjoyed nature and spent many hours with his father exploring the woodlands around his home.  When he passed away in December 2013, John Semmler wanted to honor his son’s memory and love of the outdoors by helping Plantations preserve the natural area.


“I believe that this addition to the Ringwood Ponds Natural Area creates a more well-defined boundary between this unique preserve and one of the privately-owned parcels it borders,” stated Mr. Semmler. "More important for me, it permanently recognizes Andrew's love of nature in a way that would have been truly meaningful to him.”

“We are thankful for the generosity of Mr. Semmler, the Town of Dryden, and a number of Ringwood neighbors and Plantations donors, who contributed funds to protect this tract,” stated Todd Bittner, director of Natural Areas at Cornell Plantations. “This addition to our 3,400 acres of natural area holdings will expand the diversity of habitats and unique landscapes available for use as outdoor classrooms for Cornell and other educators.  Plantations protects and manages a system of 44 preserves that facilitate world-class research in the natural sciences for hundreds of University students and faculty annually.   We are grateful that Mr. Semmler’s gift will not only honor his son, but will benefit researchers and students for generations.”

The Andrew Semmler Tract and Ringwood Ponds Natural Area are approximately 7 miles east of Cornell University and are open to the public.

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