The Forest of Arden Traditional Cache
ChiefGeocacher: Hello Americas Army -
As the issues with this cache have not been resolved, I must regretfully archive it.
Please note that if geocaches are archived by a reviewer or Geocaching HQ for lack of maintenance, they are not eligible for unarchival.
ChiefGeocacher
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(regular)
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To step into this vast forested area is to step out of New York City for a moment, and experience a part of Staten Island unchanged for hundreds of years. Arden Woods is New York City's largest wetlands, a rare example of untouched wilderness in one of the world's biggest cities.
Bird watchers 'flock' to the park to seek out the owls, hawks, and warblers that swoop among the tall trees, while salamanders, frogs, and small mammals can be seen on the ground and along the edges of the ponds. A hiking trail and several paths guide visitors in their explorations. With almost 200 undeveloped acres, Arden Woods is a perfect place to lose yourself for the day.
Most of Arden Heights Woods is a forested hardwood swamp. The site is actually the largest wetlands that the Department of Environmental Conservation has classified anywhere in the New York metropolitan area. It contains several kettle ponds (bodies of water formed by glaciers) which are connected by an intricate network of streams and creeks. As such, it provides natural flood control for the area, making a more complicated (and expensive) man-made sewage system unnecessary.
Many owls frequent this site, including the screech owl (Otus asio), saw whet owl (Aegolius acadicus), great horned owl (Bubo virginianus), and the barn owl (Tyto alba). Occasionally, a barred owl (Strix varia) from the south will venture this far north. This bird is known as the “Southern Gentleman” because it makes the distinct sound suggestive of “who cooks for you, who cooks for you-all.” Bats come here for shelter and food, and the swamp’s ample insect population helps satisfy their appetite; in one year, the average bat consumes fifty times its body weight in insects.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Lbh'yy svaq gur pnpur jvguva gur oryyl bs n tvnag. Cyrnfr or pnershy bs gur gubeaf!