The Madison Lewis Woodlands Trail Guide - HISTORY	The Madison Lewis Woodlands Trail Guide - NATURE TRAIL	The Madison Lewis Woodlands TRAIL GUIDE MAP
The Madison Lewis Woodlands is a 15 acre parcel of land that is open to the public of the community to study plants and wildlife. The land was entrusted to the Orange and Dutchess Garden Club by Mrs. Madison Lewis. It was named in honor of Mrs. Lewis' late husband, a local philanthropist. Before being purchased by Mrs. Lewis, the Woodlands was part of a large estate known as Belair, which encompassed Robin Brae Drive, as well as the Woodlands. It was the summer estate of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Powell Fowler and their nine children. The Fowlers lived in New York City. Mr. Fowler owned several steam boats on the Hudson River and was the president of the Ontario and Western Railroad. In the 1890's, gardens and various species of trees were planted by the Fowlers on the estate. Water pipes had been run from the well throughout the gardens. The abandoned well and some piping remain In the Woodlands today. Traces of the formal gardens can still be found at the entrance and within the Woodlands. At one time, there were three gazebos, a playhouse by the pond (at the end of Robin Brae Dr.), and a bowling alley in front of the well. The main house was taken down and several houses were built on Maple Avenue and Robin Brae Drive in the 1 950s. In 1998, Robert C. Burns, of Troop 38, Boy Scouts of America, in Warwick, New York, improved the nature trail in the Lewis Woodlands as part of his Eagle Scout service project. In 2003, the Heritage Tree Project restored the Woodlands as part of Warwick-in-Bloom.	Along the trail are numbered markers that correspond with the numbered key on the map inside this guide. As you enjoy your walk through the Woodlands, you will notice some very old trees. Log benches are located at the observation point. This is an excellent location to observe the abundant wildlife that inhabits the Lewis Woodlands. Some of the animals that you might observe include whitetail deer, gray and red squirrels, chipmunks, cottontail rabbits, red fox, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse, pileated woodpeckers, and many different species of song birds. Many plants that you observe on your walk are not native. These species remain from the gardens of Belair; some have been planted by the garden club. Some of the plants you can see include: Skunk Cabbage (March-April) Dogtooth Violet, Bloodroot, Rue Anemone, Wild Lilly of the Valley Bellwort, Wakerobin, Wild Geranium, Columbine, Bedstraw, Violets, Silverbells, Yellow Violets, Forget-me-not, Bluebells, Solomon's Seal, False Solomon's Seal, Venus Looking Glass, Speedwell, Rattlesnake Plantain, Habenaria, Turtlehead, Virgin's Bower, Lousewort, Periwinkle, Rocket Day Lillies tMaYJune), Daffodils (April-May), Hostas, and Clematis. There is watercress in the stream. There are several varieties of ferns: Christmas Fern, Sensitive Fern, Interupted Fern, and Hayscented Fern. There is also a healthy crop of three-leafed, shiny Poison Ivy. Watch out!