Clubhouse Demolition/Parking Lot Progress:
If you have been to Forest Beach Migratory Preserve the last round of months (18 months) you might have noticed a few changes – the parking lot is smaller and has a different texture, the 16,000 square foot clubhouse has vanished, and the surrounding area has limited vegetation. You are not wrong; the place looks drastically different for good reason. Check out our blog from 2023 for some background on the demolition project here: What’s on the horizon for the Forest Beach Migratory Preserve?
Although plans were adjusted a bit, we are happy with the resulting viewshed without the buildings. The clubhouse (and all the infrastructure) that was taxing the organization through required maintenance and upkeep is gone, and the very large parking lot was crushed up and recycled on site to create the new, more appropriately sized lot. Through the removal of the roofs and lot surfaces, we have reclaimed over an acre of permeable surface! This change allows for more water to infiltrate where it lands and stay on site longer or be filtered better before heading to the lake. The actual demolition was quick and took place over about 3 weeks – site restoration followed. We brought in soil from another local job site and packed that in lifts while trying to maintain some microtopography on the surface by not packing the top layer, leaving divots. Topsoil was immediately seeded with an agricultural cover crop to promote quick establishment, increase site stability, and limit potential for erosion. We followed up with a native grassland seed mix to increase floristic diversity and provide opportunities for feeding, nesting, and roosting for birds, and pollinators – we could see the clear fairway ahead.
The cover crop germinated before the frost hit hard in 2024, but things turned toward the bunker in spring of 2025. We found a flush of quack grass quickly trying to establish the site – this is a cool-season grass that has invasive tendencies. Although we appreciate the soil holding capacity this species possesses, its invasive habit was adversely impacting our hopes for good plant diversity. After waiting for our native seed mix to show up most of the season and being met with disappointment, a tough decision was made to treat the quack grass to make room for a second round of cover crop and native seed mix. A bogey at best, this set the restoration portion progress back about twelve months. We are seeing a much better plant community expressing itself so far this spring and problem species have been manageable – perhaps back on par.
The next 24 to 36 months are the establishment period where we will be diligently scanning and treating invasive species, seeding down light areas, and conducting regular mowing to promote diversity. It is important to keep sunlight hitting the ground to promote germination and limit seeding of field weeds and any invasives. Our desired species will start to take over the site and will put down strong roots while being mowed. We hope to see an abundance of flowers and a framework of grasses in 2028 – a birdie or better. Please be kind to our new plants and stay on the trail while enjoying the gem of patchworked habitat we like to call Forest Beach Migratory Preserve.
If you are wondering, Forest Beach had a lively past life first as the Port Washington Country Club and then Squires Golf Course for the 70 years before OWLT acquired the property in 2009. It was a staple of the local community and served many rounds. The property was intensively managed as a course until approximately 2008 shown here in the first photos in our library in 2009 vs our 2020 photos. Since the protection of this property the land trust has been intensely managing the site with different goals in mind. We started by planting tens of acres of prairie and savanna, and thousands of trees. Over the years we have continued similar efforts and maintenance of the initial investments while taking on the rough task of invasive species control. With prescribed fire, timed mowing, and targeted use of herbicides, we have consistently invested more time or money into this preserve than many others in our portfolio. Visit the Preserve: Forest Beach Migratory Preserve | Restoring Lands
Before – 2009 golf course photos. After – 2020 Forest Beach Migratory Preserve restoration photos.
Clubhouse Demolition process photos.