DEC's Watch the Forest Grow Initiative is a tool used to demonstrate site recovery at streamside planting and timber management areas. Native trees and shrubs are planted at these sites to improve wildlife habitat, water quality and storm resilience.
We encourage you to visit designated locations, take photos at the marked area, and submit them to DEC staff. Photos will be placed in chronological order on this website.
How to Get Involved
It's easy to participate! Visit one of the locations listed below and follow the instructions on the location's photo monitoring sign to submit your photos.
Photos can be taken with any camera device by aligning it with the bracket found on each photo monitoring sign. Photos should be emailed to the email address listed on the site's sign and include the date, time and location number listed in the email subject line.
Site Locations
Millbrook School (#1271DU) - Dutchess County
(41.782583, -73.688278) - View in Google Maps
Photos, top left to bottom: Planting day Spring 2016, Summer 2016, Summer 2018, Fall 2019
Honeoye Inlet Wildlife Management Area (#5129) - Ontario County
(42.681551, -77.491641) - View in Google Maps
Photos, top left to bottom right: Summer 2017, Fall 2017, Summer 2018, early Summer 2019, late Summer 2019, early Summer 2020