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| Sandy Point |
Just off the shore from Stonington and
Westerly is a little gem of a Preserve: Sandy Point. It was a gift
from the Gildersleeve family a number of years ago to Avalonia Land
Conservancy. While it is owned by Avalonia, it is managed by
teamwork. The Stonington COMO manages it for the public use. It is a
favored beach and boating stop. Good swimming, beautiful beaches and
great wildlife watching. Fires and over-night camping are
prohibited. Dogs are not allowed on shore at all, to protect the
wildlife. The COMO employs stewards during the summer to enforce
regulations, check beach passes, interact, and answer questions.
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| Sandy Point |
To further protect the nesting
shorebirds, the US Fish and Wildlife Service biologists monitor the
island, and rope off the areas used by nesting Terns, Piping Plovers,
and American Oystercatchers; all of which are species that are
endangered, or threatened. It has been established that colonies of
these birds can be quite successful, and still leave plenty of room
for people to enjoy the island as well. The USFWS biologists are
always eager to answer questions and engage the public to help with
stewardship when they visit the island.
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| American Oystercatcher |
During May and
June, full moon and new moon high tides, the island is also a
sanctuary for horseshoe crabs coming to lay their eggs on the
shoreline ( Look for the May 23rd post for more about
horseshoe crabs.)
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| Piping Plover |
For a small island, there is a lot
going on. To visit, please obtain your season passes from the
Stonington Como. They are available now. There are daily passes
available, as well as, discounted rates for COMO and Avalonia
members. The COMO is located at 28 Cutler Street, Stonington. Phone
860-535-2476.
Enjoy what makes this a unique and
valuable place. We are lucky to have so many people and agencies
working together to preserve the habitat, for people and wildlife
together.
Written by Beth Sullivan.
All photos by Rick Newton.
Learn more about Terns, Piping Plovers, and American Oystercatchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
If I wanted to send a donation for the Sandy Point Island Preserve, would I send it to COMO at the address listed here?
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteThe COMO manages the access to the Sandy Point Island Preserve for Avalonia.
If you wanted to donate to the support of the Sandy Point Island Preserve, you should send your donation to: Avalonia Land Conservancy, Inc. P.O. Box 49, Old Mystic, CT 06372.
Thank you for your interest in Avalonia and Sandy Point.
Al
Thank you very much
DeleteCan you get a permit to camp overnite on the island ?
ReplyDeleteNo overnight camping See the info in text above and he USFWS Brochure on Sandy Point
Delete