Forever Wild Forests of New York City:

LaTourette Park - Staten Island Greenbelt Preserve

LaTourette Park is a section of the 2,800-acre park system known as the Greenbelt, forming a nearly contiguous circle of publicly and privately owned green space in the center of Staten Island. The Greenbelt includes New York City's largest remaining forest preserve, offering an oasis of peace, quiet, and solitude. It is also home to tidal and freshwater wetlands, oak and beech forests, open meadows, and rolling hills that offer visitors a glimpse into the natural and pastoral heritage of Staten Island.

The LaTourette Park section of the Greenbelt has a diversity of forest habitats. These woodlands and wetlands provide a crucial preserve for flora and fauna threatened by the pressures of urban development. Forest communities include oak/tulip tree, coastal oak/hickory, red maple/sweetgum swamps and globally rare serpentine forests. The Park is also home to NYC Park’s Greenbelt Nature Center, an environmental education facility where visitors can learn about the local ecology before setting of on the trail to explore the forest.