Wyndham pg 1 5-6-21
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Two Parcels Preserved
Left: A babbling brook cuts through the Potrzeba Preserve. Above: A trail on the Cartier Preserve runs through large stands of mountain laurel. Photos courtesy of Wyndham Land Trust.
POMFRET CENTER—The fight against climate change just got a boost thanks to acquisition of two properties in the Quiet Corner by the Wyndham Land Trust.
The Wyndham Land Trust recently acquired two properties that add to the 5,000 acres of forest and grasslands already protected by the land trust in the Quiet Corner. The new 86-acre Cartier Preserve is north of Quarry Road in Woodstock. The new 65-acre Potrzeba Preserve sits a short distance away to the west of Swedetown Road in the northwest corner of Pomfret.
“There’s something about these woods that never fails to help me refocus on what’s truly important in this life,” said the land trust’s treasurer, Penny Foisey. “As the saying goes ‘And into the woods I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.’ The Cartier and Potrzeba Preserves are great places to enjoy the beauty of nature. I always feel like I’ve stepped back in time walking these paths that were here long before I.”
Both preserves are part of a large undeveloped area of forested habitat covering several thousand acres that is important for storing carbon and fighting climate change.
Land manager Andy Rzeznikiewicz is excited about the new acquisitions: “The diversity of birds is very high — an indication of the health and the size of the forest. Species like black-throated blue warblers, hooded warblers, black-throated green warblers, and scarlet tanagers breed here. Bird species that I don’t find in most parts of our area are attracted to the large stands of thick mountain laurel, where they nest and raise their young.
“The land trust is focusing on acquiring large, unbroken blocks of land, and we’re hoping for additional donations to protect this valuable habitat in our region. I’ve long admired the wild feeling of this area, and I’m grateful we have managed to protect some of it,” he added.
The Cartier Preserve rises to over 900 feet in its center and is traversed by a mile-long trail that runs through the dense mountain laurel. Foisey will lead a walk through the Cartier Preserve on June 13 as part of the Last Green Valley’s Spring Outdoors event, and the walk is timed to coincide with the spectacular bloom of the mountain laurel. Scouts from BSA Troop 27 in Woodstock recently cleared fallen trees and brush along the trail in preparation for the event.
The Wyndham Land Trust was formed in 1975, and the work of the all-volunteer group is possible only through the generosity and dedication of its members and donors. To learn more about the Wyndham Land Trust visit wyndhamlandtrust.org. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
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