The Preserve: Recreation for the public, not the privileged
Some dark clouds do in fact have silver linings.
When millions of Americans lost their jobs during The Great Depression in the 1930s, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps, nicknamed “Roosevelt’s Tree Army,” planted millions of trees, built miles of hiking trails, and created or expanded countless parks across the country, including three in eastern Connecticut: Rocky Neck State Park, Nehantic State Forest and Pachaug State Forest.
Then, after the Great Hurricane of 1938 destroyed much of New London’s southern shore, the city cleared the rubble and built its crown jewel, Ocean Beach Park.
And after Lehman Brothers collapsed in 2008 during the nationwide financial crisis, the giant investment banking firm eventually was forced to sell a 963-acre tract at the mouth of the Connecticut River, where developers had long planned to build an 18-hole golf course surrounded by 300 opulent homes.
Today, instead of an exclusive community for the elite, the property comprises The Preserve, a rugged nature sanctuary for the public. Spread out among forests and wetlands in Old Saybrook, Essex and Westbrook, the refuge is considered the largest undeveloped coastal parcel between New York and Boston.
Our group of four “coronavirus hikers,” who in recent weeks have been self-distancing while tramping off-the-beaten-track trails throughout the region, explored The Preserve’s extensive network of hiking paths the other day, and soon were enveloped in its majesty.
“Stunning!” exclaimed Maggie Jones, director emeritus of the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center in Mystic, making her first visit to the property.
With 114 acres of wetlands, 38 vernal pools and expansive stretches of woodlands and ledges, The Preserve, part of the state park system, is home to 57 species of birds, 30 different mammals and 25 species of am
phibians and reptiles.
We hadn’t ventured more than a few yards before a tiny winged creature flitted past.
“Oven bird,” Maggie said. A moment later came its distinctive call: “Teacher-teacher-teacher!”
So named because its nest resembles a Dutch oven, the oven bird is among a dozen or so species that makes its home on the ground — all the more reason hikers and bikers should stick to marked trails and keep dogs on leashes.
Oven birds spend winters in Central America and return north in the spring, when they have only one narrow window to reproduce, Maggie explained. If their ground nest gets trampled, that’s it — no new family for the year.
Shortly afterward another bird greeted us: “Wheedle-deedle-dee.”
“Carolina wren,” Maggie noted. “Sounds like a music box.”
During more than five miles of meandering, we were greeted by great-crested flycatchers, red-bellied woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, redwing blackbirds, yellow-throated vireos, Baltimore orioles, parula warblers, a great-horned owl, red-shouldered hawk, as well as barn, tree and roughwinged swallows swooping over a small pond.
“This is a real hot spot,” Maggie said.
At various trailside sections, dwarf ginseng, partridge berry, wild lilyof-the-valley, striped wintergreen, Christmas ferns, wild oats, wild geraniums and wood anemone poked through the soil.
When we came to one patch of green leaves, I asked, “What are those?”
“Canada May apple,” Maggie replied. “The whole plant is poisonous — except for the fruit (appearing later in the summer).” “Don’t think I’ll be risking it,” I said. Seventy acres of The Preserve in Essex are owned and managed by the Essex Land Trust, with most of the remaining acreage jointly owned by the state of Connecticut and the town of Old Saybrook. All three towns had opportunities to buy the property before the bankruptcy sale, but initially voted against public acquisition. Better late than never, I guess. The Preserve offers about 10 miles of blazed trails, which often intersect with unmarked paths that crisscross back and forth among the three towns. It can be difficult to navigate, and even with printed maps, signs and GPS, we got twisted around a few times — no matter, it just extended our enjoyable walk.
There are small parking lots on opposite ends of Ingham Hill Road in Old Saybrook and Essex, but the most accessible one on Route 153, 1278 Essex Road in Westbrook. More information: https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/StateParks/Forests/The-Preserve
During more than three hours in The Preserve, we saw exactly two other hikers, both walking dogs on leashes.
With so much room to roam, it seems an ideal place to avoid the large crowds that have forced the closing of several parks during the pandemic.
Once again, here’s a list of land trusts in the region that offer public hiking trails, all worth alternatives to crowded beaches and parks. Check their websites or Facebook pages for directions and regulations:
Avalonia Land Conservancy, Connecticut
Forest and Park Association, East Lyme & Niantic Land Conservation Trust, Friends of Oswegatchie Nature Preserve in East Lyme, Groton Open Space Association, Lyme Land Conservation Trust, The Nature Conservancy, Old Lyme Land Trust, Old Lyme Open Space Committee, North Stonington Citizens Land Alliance, Salem Land Trust, Stonington Land Trust and Waterford Land Trust (originally West Farms Land Trust).
I’m also grateful to readers who have been suggesting places to hike. I hope to visit as many as I can. If you have a favorite destination, leave an online comment on this column or email me at s.fagin@theday.com. Thanks, stay healthy, keep active and hike responsibly.