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Beaver pond in Nightingale Forest. Photo courtesy of the Wyndham Land Trust.
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The extensive wetlands form the headwaters of Nightingale Brook
Harry Townshend enjoyed fishing on the family property. Photos courtesy of Wyndham Land Trust.
An active beaver lodge
Beavers imported by Harry Townshend have created extensive wetlands on the property.
Harry and Deb Townshend at their 70th wedding anniversary in 2012. Photo courtesy of Townshend family.
POMFRET CENTER—A remote section of unbroken forest in the Quiet Corner is now protected from development thanks to the acquisition of a large piece of land by the Wyndham Land Trust.
The Wyndham Land Trust recently acquired 364 acres in Pomfret from the Townshend family. The land — the largest single acquisition by the land trust in its 46-year history —includes a large scenic wetland with open water, marshlands, shrub swamp, and forested swamp that form the headwaters of Nightingale Brook. The woodlands that surround the wetlands support important forest-nesting birds such as Canada Warbler and Black-throated Blue Warbler.
The property sits in a remote corner of Pomfret that borders Eastford to the west and Woodstock to the north. The Wyndham Land Trust is actively working to protect this area of extensive woodlands and has christened it the ‘Nightingale Forest.’ Their Nightingale Forest now covers 1,120 acres of protected land, of which almost 800 were donated by or purchased from the Townshend family.
The late Henry “Harry” Townshend, the patriarch of the prominent Townshend family in New Haven, was responsible for creating the core of this valuable habitat. Harry, looking for a place where he could enjoy his passion for hunting and fishing, purchased almost 1,200 acres in Pomfret in the late-1950s.
The Pomfret land soon became a cornerstone of the lives of Harry Townshend and his wife Deb, and their five children spent many happy hours exploring the woods. The family kept horses and rode on the extensive trail system that was created to support dog field trials.
“Dad loved the outdoors which offered him fields, forests, mountains, streams and lakes to satisfy his hobbies of hunting, fishing, and field trials,” said Nancy Townshend Vess. “But I think the biggest reason he liked the outdoors was the solitude it brought him. The properties he bought in Pomfret were all places of solitude.
“We children grew up surrounded by nature,” she added. “Each of us has an appreciation of the natural world as a result of this upbringing. I do believe the Wyndham Land Trust is an organization that will help the Pomfret community balance man against nature. I’m glad we were able to work with the land trust to maintain that balance.”
“I’m happy to give this Pomfret land over to the protection of the Wyndham Land Trust and for the enjoyment of the public,” said Sharon Townshend.
“Nature has been a source of renewal, healing, adventure, and art ideas for me; and I’m glad I can now enjoy this land as a member of the public.”
“I once asked Dad if he believed there was a ‘God,’ said Hervey Townshend. “His answer was ‘no not in the common belief.’ But he said ‘if there was a God, his spirit would live in the woods among the trees, in nature, and in all the animals.’ Nature was Dad’s God. Walking in the forest was entering a spiritual place to be treated with respect. We would often walk together, stopping occasionally to listen to the silence of the woods.”
“This new property contains an excellent network of trails,” said Penny Foisey, land trust treasurer and president of the Pomfret Horse & Trails Association. “The forest here is pristine and open. It reflects the careful planning of Mr. Townshend with many of his original field trial markers still there for the observant to find.”
The land trust plans to mark the trails and parking areas this summer, and information about public access to the property will be available on its web site.
Funding for the acquisition came from the State of Connecticut Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition grant program, the Bafflin Foundation, the Town of Pomfret, the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut, the Summerhill Foundation, and from Wyndham Land Trust members and supporters.
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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