Woodlawn Preserve

Woodlawn Preserve is a protected natural area in Schenectady containing about 135 acres of wetlands, sand dunes, and pine-scrub oak forests. The site displays multiple habitat types within the Albany Pine Bush ecosystem, creating a landscape where different environments meet and overlap.

The preserve was established in 1969 as protected land meant to remain in its natural state. Since its founding, the local community has repeatedly opposed development plans to keep the landscape from changing.

The preserve showcases rare plant species found only in this region, offering visitors direct experience with the local flora and its ecological significance. Walking through the landscape, you observe how sand dunes and pine forests shape the ecosystem in ways that reveal its natural rhythms.

The area has walking trails leading through different habitats where you can explore and observe wildlife. Wear sturdy shoes since the ground can be wet and uneven, especially in the wetland sections.

The preserve contains some of the largest sand dunes in the Albany Pine Bush ecosystem and represents the last surviving example of this landscape type in Schenectady. These dunes formed during ice age processes and create a rare habitat found nowhere else in the region today.