By Beth Sullivan
We are thrilled to
honor and be trusted by, a family that has been conservation-minded
from the beginning of the last century. The descendants of Benedict
Bengt Benson have donated 94 acres of beautiful forest land in North
Stonington, to be preserved in perpetuity.
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| Benedict Benson's family members. Photograph by Bruce Fellman. |
Mimi and Brad Borden
have been in conversation with Avalonia for quite a long time, trying
to determine the best way to donate land, preserve portions for their
farm and family, and ensure that the entire area will be preserved
for both people and wildlife to enjoy and thrive.
These acres are part of
a large forest block, parts of which are also protected. It is a
widely varied area, with fresh streams, many vernal pools, and
abundant rocks-rocks that are ledges and outcrops, rocks that are
glacial erratics, and of course the area is strewn with the stones
from which the Stoningtons get their name. These have been gathered
into all manner of walls and mounds and piles scattered throughout
the area.
Any rock lover will
be thrilled to walk here, observing the glacial effects of many
thousands of years ago. Big boulders scattered seemingly at random
throughout the landscape are covered with mosses. Many of them have
cracked and split, in recent time, relatively speaking. During the
natural process of water entering a crack in the rock, then freezing
and expanding, the cracks are enlarged. Organic debris fills in the
cracks, and over years there is enough to support the growth of a
seed. The seed sends its roots, strong and persistently powerful, out
and down, until the rock cracks a bit more. Over time the two parts
of the boulder are completely separated. There are many examples to
be found here of full sized trees growing within a rocky base.
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| It's easy to imagine kids making a fort in these rocks and woods. |
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| Over decades, this tree has found a foot hold, or root hold, by cracking apart this bolder. |
Appropriate Dedication
Appropriately, on Earth
Day, the new preserve was dedicated with over 30 people in
attendance, including descendants of Benedict Benson himself as well
as the donors.
The North Stonington
town committee has completed marking a trail through the woods on the
west side of Swan Town Hill Road, with yellow blazes . But the
orange tape on the trees is also a testament to Mr. Borden himself
enjoying the property, hiking over many decades. A little bit of
different family history remains deep in the woods. A very old car,
probably a family first, remains in place, home to small creatures
and greenery.
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| The old family car. Wonder what it was? |
The varied habitats
also support a wide range of very unique plants, spring ephemerals
and other wildlife as well. The area is well known to birders as one
of the very few breeding/nesting areas for the critically threatened
Cerulean Warbler. As we walked the trails, we could hear bird song
from well over our heads, announcing the beginning of spring
migration.
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| Woodpeckers have abundant food and nesting opportunities. |
The Lantern Brook
flows through the property starting from a pond to the north,
spreading into pools and wetland seeps, then tumbling down a stony
rubble path making beautiful noise along the way. The wetlands were
the greenest spots in the woods with Skunk Cabbage and False
Hellebore following the waterway.
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| The early greenery of False Hellebore follows the flow of the Lantern Brook. |
A map, directions and
description will be on our preserves page shortly. We will also
include a history of the property written by Mimi Borden herself.
Take a ride into the country of North Stonington. Get a little lost
in the woods and think about what Benedict Bengt Benson must have
felt when he first arrived on the land and made it his home. His
family says he would be happy to know it is preserved for others to
enjoy as well.
Thank you Benedict.
Thank you Mimi and Brad.
Photographs by Beth
Sullivan unless otherwise noted.
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