A caring steward

By Beth Sullivan

Sometimes people make special connections to a certain piece of land. Maybe they live near by, maybe it is a favorite place to hike, maybe there is a historical tie to the property. Something draws them to a place, and they choose to devote time and effort and offer TLC to a favorite preserve.

The trail head

Our friend RB is one of those people. His family has ties, very close ones indeed, to the White Cedar Swamp and Deans Mill Preserves, accessed off Jerry Brown Rd. in Mystic. RB grew up on these lands as years ago his family owned a large farm, most of which is north of I-95. The Deans Mill Preserve is that portion of his childhood farmland that was cut off from the rest and is south of the interstate.

RB has taken us through those preserves and lovingly pointed out the historic features, walls, bar-ways, old roads, areas where trees were harvested and a lovely fresh spring. The area boasts ledges, bald rock faces underfoot, and some spectacular peeks over the Deans Mill/Aquarion Reservoir.

A stone bench waits for winter hikers.

One of the unique features of the area, is a rare, White Cedar swamp. Atlantic White Cedars grow in wet, acidic boggy areas. The plant community is quite rare this far south in CT. Over the last years RB noticed that the area was changing. The cedars were dying out; there were no new seedlings coming along to replace the old ones, and the entire ecosystem was evolving. Red Maple and Black Birch trees were growing into the sunny openings. They are rapid growers and quickly invaded and crowded the Cedars which cannot compete.

The boggy pond is frozen over.

Preservation and conservation are interesting concepts. They don’t always mean just letting nature take her course. Stewardship is where Avalonia makes decisions about the best way to manage and help preserve special habitats. Knowing that we would certainly lose the central gem of this preserve without some action, RB engaged on a personal mission to save the White Cedar Swamp. Over the last several years he has begun to cut down many of the smaller sapling Maples and Black Birch. He has also thinned out many of the larger ones to reopen the area to the sun that the Cedars need to thrive. Some of the larger trees have been girdled- a process that cuts around the tree into the bark. It ultimately will kill the tree but the tree remains standing as a snag, roost site and habitat for insects and birds.

Mature White Cedars

RB also transplanted seedling White Cedars from elsewhere in the preserve, back into the areas that were lacking, thus giving Mother Nature a jump start on the restoration of the swamp population.

A White Cedar seedling

Nature takes her time. Having a steward like RB gives her a boost and a gentle nudge in the direction we hope will be the most valuable for wildlife and overall habitat.

Small cones and scales of green mark a White Cedar in place of needles and large cones of other conifers.

A recent walk on a winter’s day gave us lovely looks of the swamp, the rock faces of ledge and trail which was slick with ice but with moss and lichen still visible. The stone bench overlooking the pond was covered with snow. We noted seedling cedars standing up bravely in the cold. With the opened up canopy and more sunlight, they will certainly grow quickly and continue the line of White Cedars in the Swamp.

Photographs by Beth Sullivan.
This post originally appeared January 13, 2014.

A Good Steward

By Beth Sullivan

Sometimes people make special connections to a certain piece of land. Maybe they live near by, maybe it is a favorite place to hike, maybe there is a historical tie to the property. Something draws them to a place, and they choose to devote time and effort and offer TLC to a favorite preserve.

The trail head

Our friend RB is one of those people. His family has ties, very close ones indeed, to the White Cedar Swamp and Deans Mill Preserves, accessed off Jerry Brown Rd. in Mystic. RB grew up on these lands as years ago his family owned a large farm, most of which is north of I-95. The Deans Mill Preserve is that portion of his childhood farmland that was cut off from the rest and is south of the interstate.

RB has taken us through those preserves and lovingly pointed out the historic features, walls, bar-ways, old roads, areas where trees were harvested and a lovely fresh spring. The area boasts ledges, bald rock faces underfoot, and some spectacular peeks over the Deans Mill/Aquarion Reservoir.

A stone bench waits for winter hikers.

One of the unique features of the area, is a rare, White Cedar swamp. Atlantic White Cedars grow in wet, acidic boggy areas. The plant community is quite rare this far south in CT. Over the last years RB noticed that the area was changing. The cedars were dying out; there were no new seedlings coming along to replace the old ones, and the entire ecosystem was evolving. Red Maple and Black Birch trees were growing into the sunny openings. They are rapid growers and quickly invaded and crowded the Cedars which cannot compete.

The boggy pond is frozen over.

Preservation and conservation are interesting concepts. They don’t always mean just letting nature take her course. Stewardship is where Avalonia makes decisions about the best way to manage and help preserve special habitats. Knowing that we would certainly lose the central gem of this preserve without some action, RB engaged on a personal mission to save the White Cedar Swamp. Over the last several years he has begun to cut down many of the smaller sapling Maples and Black Birch. He has also thinned out many of the larger ones to reopen the area to the sun that the Cedars need to thrive. Some of the larger trees have been girdled- a process that cuts around the tree into the bark. It ultimately will kill the tree but the tree remains standing as a snag, roost site and habitat for insects and birds.

Mature White Cedars

RB also transplanted seedling White Cedars from elsewhere in the preserve, back into the areas that were lacking, thus giving Mother Nature a jump start on the restoration of the swamp population.

A White Cedar seedling

Nature takes her time. Having a steward like RB gives her a boost and a gentle nudge in the direction we hope will be the most valuable for wildlife and overall habitat.

Small cones and scales of green mark a White Cedar in place of needles and large cones of other conifers.

A recent walk on a winter’s day gave us lovely looks of the swamp, the rock faces of ledge and trail which was slick with ice but with moss and lichen still visible. The stone bench overlooking the pond was covered with snow. We noted seedling cedars standing up bravely in the cold. With the opened up canopy and more sunlight, they will certainly grow quickly and continue the line of White Cedars in the Swamp.

Photographs by Beth Sullivan.

Greenways

In conservation, the concept of creating greenways has grown from the understanding that animals and birds, and even plants, need corridors of land to move along. In the past it seemed enough to protect any parcel, even an isolated one. Every bit counted. Now we realize that finding and protecting land that is connected to other preserved and protected land is a greater goal. When Avalonia Land Conservancy seeks new properties with hopes of acquisition, we look at surrounding areas and see how each piece of the puzzle can fit and enhance the whole.

One such greenway in the town of Stonington is made of the combined lands of several organizations or institutions, and not only is it a green corridor for animals to utilize, but contains a lovely length of trails and side loops to be explored, and all are in walking distance from the hub of the Mystic tourism area.

Trail map of the greenway area.

There are several parts to this trail system. The most Northern parcels are the White Cedar Swamp and the Deans Mill Preserve, owned by Avalonia, that are accessed from Jerry Browne Road and a small road-side parking area. A lovely winding path rises high and overlooks a small white cedar bog on one side and the Deans Mill reservoir on the other. The water company land, while not open to the public, contributes to the greenway of protected acreage. The trail goes as far north as the I -95 interstate and loops around through land that contains vernal pools and seeps as well as old stone walls, glacial erratics and beautiful old trees. Returning to Jerry Browne Road, you can cross the street and head up a short distance to a new connector trail through Avalonia’s Perkins Wildlife Corridor that goes into the woods, crosses a stream and then abuts another Avalonia property: the Pequotsepos Preserve. This connects to land owned by the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center and continues to land held by the Denison Society. A walk in this area takes you down to the Nature Center fields and habitat restoration project.

Trail head in the greenway.

This collection of green acres also adjoins more protected space and another set of connecting trails to the west of Pequotsepos Road. These are most easily accessed from the overflow parking area directly across from the Mystic Aquarium and off Maritime Blvd. The first segment is owned by the Aquarium and goes through varied habitats, mostly early successional brush and shrub lands and then leads into more Avalonia land, the Pequotsepos Brook Preserve that is second growth forest and follows a stream and walls that indicate former farm use. One of the most interesting aspects of this segment of the greenway trail is that it skirts several settling ponds and as it follows the Pequotsepos Brook, volunteers have uncovered several historic stone bridges. Huge stones, many of which were quarried from this same property, were placed to create these crossings. These provided solid crossings for farm carts, animals and vehicles from the past century. These are scenic and peaceful places to stop and listen for the wildlife hidden here. At one point the trail comes out into a large open field at the end of Maritime Blvd. It is here that there will be a connection to the Coogan property being purchased and protected by the Nature Center.

Stone bridges in the greenway.

Continue the walk through the woods, behind the Denison Homestead, and you emerge into the Farmer’s Market field and you can enjoy the sunny habitat and multiple bird houses with Bluebirds and Tree Swallows in residence. You may be lucky enough to spy a deer or a fox.

Walking to the south edge of the field you go back into the woods a short distance before coming to the end of the trail on Mistuxet Avenue and overlooking the head of the Pequotsepos Cove.

These are not long or difficult trails. There are loops and side trails, varied habitats, and within them, a wide variety of wildlife to be discovered. It is only with the cooperation of multiple organizations, with the same goals, that we can continue to protect and connect the open spaces in our town and provide Greenways for all to enjoy.

Written and photographed by Beth Sullivan.

You can learn more about greenways in Connecticut at the DEEP website.

There are maps and other information about the preserves mentioned here.