The building at the center of the Quogue Wildlife Refuge has been a construction site since July 1, 2026. The Charles Banks Belt Nature Center is closed. Its 1978 addition is gone, and the staff and resident animals are working out of a temporary building. Some of the trails are also closed for a separate reason. Even so, the Refuge's October and November calendar lists more than a dozen programs. Most of them take place on the trails, on Old Ice Pond or along the Fairy Dell Boardwalk.
That's the picture this fall at 3 Old Country Road. The indoor part of the Refuge is shut until further notice. The outdoor part is open every day, and it's busy.
What came down in July
The Refuge broke ground on July 1 with supporters, project partners and local and state officials on hand. Its August 2026 project update gives the current state of the site. The original 1970 Nature Center is still standing and is being prepared for renovation. The 1978 addition has been removed to make room for a two-story addition.
The building is the biggest part of a $4.95 million capital campaign called Preserve, Educate & Inspire. Of that total, $3.5 million goes to the Nature Center renovation and expansion, $500,000 to exhibits and furnishings, $150,000 to a Nature Discovery Cottage and $800,000 to contingency. A constructed-wetlands septic system, budgeted at $214,250, is paid for separately and entirely by a grant. As of August 25, 2026, the Refuge reported $2.1 million in grant awards and $2.875 million in pledges from community members.
Dan's Papers reported on the groundbreaking in July. It said the plans call for more space for education and visitors, better accessibility, updated exhibits and sustainability features. The Southampton Press reported that the project will double the building's usable space and upgrade the wildlife exhibits and enclosures. The Refuge hasn't published a reopening date. Plan on the building being closed through the fall.
Where the animals went
Staff and the Nature Center animals have moved into the Refuge's temporary office building. That building isn't a stopgap. After the Nature Center reopens, it will become the Education Cottage, with its own space for programs, camps and workshops.
For visitors, the Outdoor Wildlife Complex and the outdoor restrooms are open from sunrise to sunset. The rest of the property keeps the same hours. Michael Nelson, the Executive Director, has led the Refuge since October 2000.
The closures that have nothing to do with the building
The Refuge's trail page has a second notice that's easy to miss. Southern Pine Beetle has infested parts of the property, and some trail sections are closed while affected trees are cut. Visitors are asked to stay on the open trails.
The notice has no date. The trail map posted with it is labeled December 2025 and shows a clearing. For anyone with a regular loop through the pines, the open sections may have changed since the last time you walked it. The Refuge office is at 631-653-4771. The trail page directs visitors there for current information.
The Refuge still lists seven miles of trails across 305 acres. They run through forest, around ponds and into the Dwarf Pines, a rare habitat in the Pine Barrens. Entry is free, and the Refuge is open 365 days a year. With the building closed and some trail sections cleared, staff are running the season from the parts of the property that remain open.
The calendar moved outside
The fall season started on October 3 with Hoots & Hops, a fundraiser for adults 21 and over. It had local brewery tastings, live birds of prey, music, and food from Land & Sea Smokehouse. That event has passed. The rest of the calendar runs to late November. Most of it uses three settings: the trails, Old Ice Pond and the Fairy Dell Boardwalk.
October
- Bats at Dusk, Guided Hike. October 8, 5:30 to 7 p.m. A 1.5-mile walk. $10, or $5 for 2026 members.
- Celebrate the Long Pond Greenbelt! October 10, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Held off-site at the South Fork Natural History Museum. The listing doesn't give a price.
- Autumn Nature Journaling Workshop. October 11, 10 a.m. to noon. $25, for adults and teens 14 and older.
- Fall Foliage Paddle Tour on Old Ice Pond. October 14 and October 15, 4:30 to 6 p.m. both days.
- Fall Foliage Pine Barrens Hike. October 17, 10 a.m. to noon. A family-friendly 1.5-mile hike to North Pond. $10 per adult and $5 per child 10 and under.
- Safari on the Enchanted Forest Trail. October 24 and October 25, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. $15 per person.
November
- Saving Cold-Stunned Sea Turtles with NYMRC. November 5, 6 to 7 p.m. Virtual and free.
- Owl Animal Ambassador Storytime. November 7, 10 to 11 a.m. $5 per child, free for children of 2026 members. Adults attend at no charge.
- Annual Bird Seed Sale Fundraiser. November 14, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Refuge says pre-order forms will be available in October.
- Guided Hike to the Dwarf Pines. November 22, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Three miles on fairly flat ground. $10, or $5 for 2026 members.
- Lantern Tour at the Fairy Dell Boardwalk. November 24, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. $20, or $15 for 2026 members.
Old Ice Pond, twice
The paddle tour is the one date worth double-checking. The Refuge's October calendar and its two event pages list tours on both October 14 and October 15, at the same 4:30 time each day. The tours are for adults and teens 12 and older. A single kayak costs $30 per person, and a double costs $60. The Refuge describes Old Ice Pond as a freshwater ecosystem. You see it from the water on these paddle tours, not from a named hiking trail. So the two October evenings are among the few chances this season to see the Refuge from the pond.
Fairy Dell, the part that's already finished
While the main building is under construction, one rebuilding project at the Refuge is finished. The Fairy Dell Boardwalk is open again. It's a 1,500-foot catwalk through tidal wetlands at the headwaters of Quantuck Creek. Locally, those headwaters are called the Fairy Dell, and the boardwalk ends at three viewing platforms over the creek.
The first boardwalk was built over the winter of 1983–84. It was funded by the first grant from New York State's Return A Gift to Wildlife program, which is paid for by donations from state taxpayers on their income tax forms. After four decades, the wood had decayed badly enough to need a full rebuild. The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation paid for the restoration with a $142,778 grant. The Refuge calls the area a very different habitat from the main sanctuary. It's a tidal wetland along the creek, while the main property's trails run through forest, past ponds and into the Dwarf Pines.
The November 24 lantern tour is the last program on the fall calendar. It runs from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
The rules haven't changed
The construction didn't change the house rules. Dogs, bicycles and picnicking aren't allowed on Refuge property. Smoking is also banned on the Fairy Dell Boardwalk. The trails, outdoor restrooms and Outdoor Wildlife Complex are open from sunrise to sunset, and the Nature Center stays closed until the Refuge announces otherwise.
Before an early-morning walk, call 631-653-4771 to find out which pine sections are closed this week. The beetle notice is the one part of the fall schedule the Refuge hasn't dated, so check before you go.
Fundraising campaigns like Preserve, Educate & Inspire help shape what daily life in Quogue looks like for the next few decades. Michael Petersohn follows these local projects closely as part of advising homeowners in the village and the surrounding hamlets. If you'd like to talk about what changes like this mean for your own plans in Quogue, Request a Personal Market Consultation.
