Staten Island · Richmond County
William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge
NYC Parks
- Location
- Travis Avenue, New Springville / Travis
- Size
- 260 acres
- Hours
- Dawn to dusk
- Type
- NYC Parks
William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge is a 260-acre wetland preserve in central Staten Island, one of the largest freshwater wetland systems in the New York metropolitan area and a critical habitat for birds, turtles, and other wildlife.
The refuge is named for William T. Davis (1862-1945), a Staten Island naturalist, entomologist, and historian who documented the island's natural history and advocated for the preservation of its wild spaces throughout his life.
The refuge protects freshwater wetlands, swamp forest, and grassland habitats that support over 100 species of birds, white-tailed deer, muskrats, snapping turtles, and diverse amphibian populations.
The preserve is part of the Staten Island Greenbelt system, the 2,800-acre network of parks, forests, and wetlands that makes Staten Island the greenest borough in New York City by percentage of land area.
William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge preserves the kind of wild landscape that once covered much of Staten Island, providing a genuine wilderness experience in a borough that retains more of its natural heritage than any other part of New York City.