We'd like to think that Pleasantview Terrace in Ridgefield was named for the view of Skeetkill Creek Marsh, a nice natural oasis amid a commercial district. This 16-acre marsh was once all phragmites, and heavily littered.
The Meadowlands Commission overhauled the site a decade ago, creating tidal channels, open water, and islands of vegetation.
It is now owned by the Meadowlands Conservation Trust.
Local volunteers, with the help of a nearby Ridgefield business that has adopted the site, keep the site clean. The Riverkeeper has done clean-ups here as well.
Peeps and other shorebirds love Skeetkill Creek Marsh at low tide, and egrets and great blue herons fly in to feed as the tide rises.
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The best way to view Skeetkill Creek Marsh is to walk along the marsh's edge as it parallels Pleasantview Terrace, or just bring a folding chair and sit at the marsh's edge.
There are plenty of tree swallows in summer -- Thanks to Ridgefield Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. (The marsh is part of the Meadowland Commission's tree swallow nesting box program.)
When the tide isn't low, there should be quite a few waders as well.
Seen on a recent visit: belted kingfisher, goldfinch, mockingbirds galore, catbirds, two great blues, a great snowy egret, and plenty of peeps.
Vegetation includes pink swamp rose mallows, perhaps the signature bloom of the Hackensack River.
Like many Meadowlands destinations, Skeetkill Creek Marsh is hard to find, but once you find it, it's pretty easy to get to.
More on Skeetkill Creek Marsh here.
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