Chernick Sanctuary
Chernick Sanctuary is a small wetland parcel of six acres in the Town of Mount Pleasant off Beech Hill Road. There are currently no maintained trails.
Chernick Sanctuary was the first sanctuary owned by Saw Mill River Audubon.
Saw Mill River Audubon holds an access easement over the adjacent Con Edison property from the corner of Briarwood Lane and Beech Hill Road.
parcel map
This map is offered for general reference purposes only and, is not intended as a legal depiction of boundaries. Numbers on adjacent residential parcels indicate house numbers. .
special notice
Please contact our office in advance if you want to bring a group to one of our sanctuaries, even if your group will be self-guided.
We want to make sure you have room to park and have the best experience for your group.
Even if your group wishes to visit without an Audubon guide, please contact us in advance to let us know when you will be visiting and tell us how many cars and people. Thank you.
Great-crested flycatchers nest at Chernick Sanctuary because if offers an abundance of tree cavities and borders the Pocantico River. Chernick Sanctuary protects riparian, or river-edge, wetland habitat.
A very small sanctuary like Chernick may not appear, at first, to have a high value for birds, other wildlife or people but its value is magnified because it is linked to adjoining properties and nearby, larger open spaces. Chernick Sanctuary’s protected wetland collects and absorbs stormwater flow which helps to prevent flooding and filter sediments.
sanctuary history
Chernick Sanctuary was donated to Saw Mill River Audubon by the Chernick family in 1962 as part of the development process of the Briarwood Lane neighborhood.
All of our sanctuaries are open to visitors free of charge, seven days a week, sunrise to sunset.
We are grateful for the ongoing help of our sanctuary neighbors and Trail Walker volunteers to watch over our sanctuaries.