6 Spots for Great Photographs in Avalonia Preserves
Story and photos by Gail Kahover
You still have a little time to enter the 2024 Photo Contest — the deadline is this Saturday, August 31. If you need some direction, point your compass to one of these six preserves where you’re bound to capture something worthy of a win!
1. Tefftweald at Birchenturn – Photo ops abound at nearly every turn of the trails at this former Girl Scout camp in North Stonington. There’s a picturesque old well/iron pump on the site, as well as fast-moving Wyassup Brook, which is a good spot for photographers any time of the year. And head to the Poet’s Bench for a great view of the brook and the forest.
2. Paffard Woods and Fennerswood Preserve – Although these are two separate properties in Stonington, they are close enough to each other so a photographer can visit both in one trip. Paffard Woods offers opportunities for closeup views of Stony Brook. Look for dragonflies resting near the stream or capture the ripples of water crashing over rocks. Fennerswood also offers some lovely views of Stony Brook. Visit in the fall when the vibrant foliage and mosses make the forest look like a fairyland.
3. Knox Preserve – This preserve in Stonington offers the photographer both a view of water and of meadows. Nature photographers can find birds such as great egrets in Quiambog Cove, a purple martin colony in the meadows, and an osprey nest near the railroad tracks. Monarch butterflies can be found on the many milkweed plants along the meadow. An old cemetery near the entrance rounds out the photographic opportunities.
4. Donald R. Henne Memorial Preserve & Shunock Brook Preserves – This property in North Stonington gives the photographer a chance to go wandering for photo opportunities. Look for photos near the water, particularly along the elevated boardwalks that criss-cross the wetlands.
5. Perry Natural Area – This Stonington property provides a photographer with ample Instagram-worthy photos! There are rock ledges, old building foundations, glacial erratics, and winding stone walls to photograph. Additionally, check out the small graveyard on the property, with headstones dating back to the 1800s.
