Leon Levy Native Habitat Garden

at Bedford Audubon

Aster by Bob Rohr

The Leon Levy Native Habitat Garden at Bedford Audubon is the cornerstone of our Bird Friendly Communities efforts.

The Garden and its programs educate, empower, and engage landowners to utilize native plants and natural landscaping practices to create buffets for migrating birds, backyard wildlife oases, and inspire neighborhood-level conservation.

The Garden is named for Leon Levy (1925-2003), a financier and philanthropist. The Leon Levy Foundation provided a grant that allowed us to hire the award-winning Larry Weaner Landscape Associates to design an expansion and renovation plan for the Native Garden in 2012.

The result is a series of distinct garden rooms that feature a diversity of gardening styles—from a more formal colonial garden to naturalistic meadows, and growing conditions—that range from deep shade, hot dry upland soils, to a unique marble mountain (limestone).

It’s a work in progress, with more plants going in the ground and garden rooms being completed each season!

Why go native?

Native plants provide the right food, at the right time for birds. And, over time, native plants reduce the amount of extra water, fertilizer, pesticides, and maintenance compared to non-native landscaping.

Ready to get started? We can help!

Learn about cultivating native plants, habitat gardening techniques and best practices, as well as invasive plant identification and removal, under the guidance of our experts during one of our volunteer sessions.

Native Habitat Gardening Information
Volunteer Workshop Opportunities

 Visit the Leon Levy Native Habitat Garden at Bedford Audubon

Directions

  1. From Route 35 take Route 22 North towards Goldens Bridge.
  2. Todd Road will be your 4th right.
  3. Bylane Farm is located about a half mile down the road, where the road surface changes from dirt to pavement.
  4. Look for a small historic white sign on the left side of the road.
  5. There’s a small gravel lot just past the building. If that lot is filled, there is additional parking across the street.
  6. The Leon Levy Native Habitat Garden at Bedford Audubon is located directly in front of our main building. You may enter through the gate.

To visit us in the office at Bylane, please call ahead: (914) 232-1999.

Our garden and sanctuary trails are open from dawn-dusk, 7 days a week. 

Leon Levy Native Garden