Ironsides Island

Ironsides Island
	Ironsides Island Location of Ironsides Island in New York State
Geography
Location	St. Lawrence River
Coordinates	44°23′46″N75°51′2″W/ 44.39611°N 75.85056°W
Area	30 acres (12 ha)
Highest elevation	272 ft (82.9 m)
Administration
	United States
State	New York
Counties	Jefferson; St. Lawrence
Towns	Alexandria; Hammond
Owner	The Nature Conservancy
U.S. National Natural Landmark
Designated	1967

Ironsides Islandis an uninhabited rocky island in theSaint Lawrence River,and part of theThousand Islandsregion nearAlexandria Bay, New York.It is in bothJeffersonandSt. Lawrencecounties.^[1]Most of the island lies in the town ofAlexandria,in Jefferson County, while its northeasternmost corner lies in the town ofHammond,in St. Lawrence County. The island is located nearKring Point State Park.^[2]

The 30-acre (12 ha) island has 30-to-40-foot (9 to 12 m) cliffs along its waterfront, and its vegetation is dominated bywhite pinetrees.^[3]It was donated by formerReader's Digestad executive William Browning toThe Nature Conservancyin the late 1960s to ensure protection of the island'sgreat blue heron rookery.^[4]^[5]Over a thousand herons return to breed every April.^[6]It was declared aNational Natural Landmarkin 1967.^[7]

Prior permission from The Nature Conservancy is required to land on the island, but it can easily be viewed from the water.^[8]

References

^"Ironsides Island".Geographic Names Information System.United States Geological Survey,United States Department of the Interior.RetrievedSeptember 12,2015.
^"National Park Service: Great Lakes Shoreline Recreation Area Survey (New York)".National Park Service.RetrievedSeptember 12,2015.
^"Coastal Fish & Wildlife Habitat Rating Form: Ironsides Island"(PDF).New York State Department of State Division of Coastal Resources. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on July 14, 2011.RetrievedSeptember 12,2015.
^Smith, Susan W. (February 13, 2013)."TI Life in February 2013".Thousand Islands Life Magazine.RetrievedSeptember 12,2015.
^Laughlin, Linda (February 27, 2013)."Lives Lived: William E. Browning, 87".The Globe and Mail.RetrievedSeptember 12,2015.
^"Natural Events Almanac - New York".The Nature Conservancy. Archived fromthe originalon May 17, 2007.RetrievedSeptember 12,2015.
^"National Natural Landmarks - National Natural Landmarks (U.S. National Park Service)".www.nps.gov.Retrieved2019-04-15.Year designated: 1967
^"Route 7"(PDF).Thousand Islands Water Trail.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on February 19, 2012.RetrievedSeptember 12,2015.