Wyndham Land 

Trust connects

Autumn awakens our senses with the cooler, crisp days. As the days become shorter, brisk and more colorful, we focus on sights and smells that are only available each fall. Boots crunching on fallen leaves, sniffing wild grapes, and listening to the tweeting birds as they begin migration to their winter retreats are a few fall treasures. Everything and everyone scurries to enjoy the fleeting and beautiful season.

The Wyndham Land Trust, long time participants in The Last Green Valley’s Walktober program, connected eager hikers to four preserves recently. Northeastern Connecticut offers something for everyone, and this was also the case with Wyndham Land Trust’s guided walks.  

Rapoport/Spalding steward, Jeff Stefanik, guided walkers along a peaceful wooded trail, past active hayfields which will remain as farm land, and along Taylor Brook beaver pond in Woodstock. 

Andy Rzeznikiewicz is steward and habitat management guru at the Robbins Preserve in Thompson. Andy’s guided hike offered a look at of the land trust’s best preserves in terms of diversity and public access. A pristine section of the Five Mile River cuts through the center of the diverse property, and home to a variety of birds, amphibians, and pollinators. 

The Aicher Preserve was visited thanks to the Weiss & Hale Financial team. The hikers met at Weiss & Hale’s headquarters in Pomfret, and accessed the Aicher Preserve through private property versus the usual access point on Freedley Road. In addition to the wildlife that this preserve attracts, the views from the high point of the preserve, an elevation 505 feet, offers striking views of the surrounding countryside. Also, a team of Wyndham Land Trust’s younger members hosted a “By Kids/For Kids Scavenger Hunt” on the Lyon Preserve in Pomfret. Bella & Lucas introduced The Lyon Preserve, a hidden treasure, to attendees that were all first-time visitors to this spot. All proclaimed it very family-friendly, great for toddling legs and strollers, too.