The Benson Preserve, a typical Southern New England post-agricultural-abandonment upland forest dominated by oaks, beeches, birches, and hickories, features many mature trees, some of them home to Pileated Woodpeckers, as well as to a wide array of hardwood forest songbirds, the most intriguing of which is the Cerulean Warbler. This stunning bird, which is listed as a Species of Special Concern in Connecticut, has been seen and heard at Benson and the surrounding area, and is one of the treasures we’ll be looking for as we walk the approximately mile and a half trail system in search of signs of spring: everything from Wood Frogs and Spring Peepers to Mourning Cloak butterflies and the rare Spotted Turtles that I’ve, well, spotted here.

We’ll pay especially close attention to the area around Lantern Brook, a delightful woodland stream that flows through the heart of the preserve and is wonderfully photogenic as it tumbles down a boulder field left behind by the glaciers that shaped this land. The area around the brook is paradise for botanists interested in mosses, ferns, lichens, and wildflowers, and while there are certain to be such stalwarts as Wood Anemones, a number of violets, and Marsh Marigolds in bloom, there’s one botanical gem known as the hepatica that we’ll scramble up a favored hillside to seek out. Hepaticas thrive in specific, rather “sweet” soil conditions unusual in our woods, but Benson has the right stuff in one area. Spotting hepaticas, which are among our earliest wild blossoms, is cause for celebration—and at Benson, there’s always something special to celebrate.

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Accessibility Note

Avalonia Accessibility Statement: https://avalonia.org/accessibility-for-people-with-disabilities-statement/

Accessibility point person: Mary Anne Sherman, 860-884-3500 or avalonialc@yahoo.com