Devil’s Den preserve expands by 77 acres
WESTON— TheNature Conservancy in Connecticut’s largest continuous preserve just got bigger.
Lastweek, itwas announced theNature Conservancy of Connecticut has added 77 acres ofwoodlands andwetlands to the Lucius Pond OrdwayDevil’s Den Preserve. The nearly 1,800acre preserve has added land formerly owned by the Nevas family on itswestern border. TheNevas family have been knownfor their philanthropy and the Leo and Libby Nevas Family Foundation, whichworks for global humanrights.
CynthiaFowx, Devil’s Den preserve manager, said the project has been on her organization’s list of priority acquisition sights since the 1970s.
“There’ s a few characteristics about it that has kept it as a top priority for us,” she said of the property. “One of it is that it’s connected to the Nature Conservancy’s largest preserve in Connecticut.”
Prior to the acquisition, Fowx said the property had been associated with the preserve because an existing trail crossed through the property.
“We’ve had a relationship with the family that owns the property for quite some time,” she said.
The conservancy worked with theNevas family as well as the Price family, who were looking for away to honor their grandparents— Leo and LibbyNevas. The relatives of the late Joan Livingston Tweedy, of Darien, also donated funds to honor her legacy of conservation, Fowx said. Tweedy was knownas an avid conservationist instrumental in advancing thework ofmany conservancy organizations.
Over half of the property also qualifies as a site for terrestrial climate resilience, meaning the area has characteristics that provides diversity of habitat for species to help them adapt to climate change, she said.
“Also, whenwe’re looking at properties like thiswe’re looking at howthese special landscapes are connected to allowspecies to migrate as the climate changes,” Fowx said.
The acquired property also provides freshwater resources, which can benefit the preserve as it is already part of the extended 70mile S aug atuk Valley Trails System and helps protect the headwaters of the Saugatuck Riverwatershed. The habitat also provides habitat for 500 types of trees and wildflowers, and over 140 bird species.
The acquisition will not only help to sustain this natural environment, Fowx said, but also protect it.
“This project will help act as a buffer between the preserve and future development,” she said.
SarahPellegrino, land protection and strategies manager for theNature Conservancy in Connecticut, said in addition to protecting theNevas parcel for its ownconservation value, the acquisition ensures the existing preserve could be protected from future negative effects like property development.
“Had there been development of the land, there could have been resulting impacts on the preserve,” she said. “Not just impacts on wildlife, habitat andwater quality, but also impacts on the public’s enjoyment of the preserve.”
Pellegrino said any time the conservancy or its partners can conserve natural places there’s a positive value to people and nature.
“One of the things so great about Devil’s Den is its size in a very developed and busy part of the state,” she said. “Having that population centered there and having somewhere that they can go and really get deep into a preserve of this size is a real treat.”