Saporita
Saporita
Avalonia is seeking to raise $28, 420 to purchase two properties owned by the Saporita family, which will expand Avalonia’s TriTown Forest Preserve, a spectacular 527 acre property located in North Stonington, Griswold and Preston, Connecticut. The TriTown Forest Preserve provides wildlife habitat, protects drinking water, and offers ten miles of trails for outdoor exploration. The two Saporita parcels, one interior to and one on the northwestern boundary of the TriTown Forest Preserve, consist of about 18 acres in total and are under contract as a bargain sale to Avalonia.
Adding these parcels to the TriTown Forest Preserve would protect several important environmental and historic points of interest:
- the majority of a historic quarry and the remainder of Rixtown Mountain
- a very large vernal pool with marbled and spotted salamanders
- a historic charcoal mound
- both sides of Miller Brook which runs into the Quinebaug River and on to the Thames River and Long Island Sound.
The TriTown Forest Preserve connects three other preserves and one conservation easement held by Avalonia, creating a massive wildlife corridor and protecting a huge segment of unfragmented forest. The parcels are very close to the Pachaug State Forest and next to over 800 acres of land under a conservation easement held by the Nature Conservancy. All properties are located in The Last Green Valley, a national heritage corridor stretching from east-central Connecticut into Massachusetts.
The TriTown Forest Preserve has some of the highest ridgelines in North Stonington, Griswold, and Preston, including the summit of Rixtown Mountain at 510 feet. The property protects the headwaters of Miller Brook and Broad Brook (the latter stocked regularly by CT DEEP with brook trout and brown trout) which flow into the Quinebaug River, the Shetucket River, and on to the Thames River forming part of the Thames River Basin.
Wetlands are found throughout the property and support a variety of species including amphibians (wood frogs and green frogs and a variety of salamanders) and the State Listed Box Turtle. The changing landscape, spectacular cliffs, and rocky outcrops along with evidence of historic farming in the valleys make for terrific hiking along the existing ten-mile TriTown Forest Preserve hiking trail, which will be extended into the Saporita parcels.
Protection of this site is consistent with goals set out in local, regional and state plans of conservation and development and will create one of the largest contiguous tracts of privately-held open space in eastern Connecticut.
The funds raised will cover the bargain sale price, legal fees, stewardship, endowment for perpetual protection, signage, and staffing. You can make a one-time gift or a pledge, and you also have the option to give through a donor-advised fund. Checks can be mailed to Avalonia Land Conservancy, P.O. Box 49, Old Mystic, CT 06372 and donations can be made online here. In addition, we offer naming opportunities to honor or remember a loved one. To discuss giving opportunities, please contact Terri Eickel at terri@avalonia.org.
All donations are fully tax-deductible – thank you for your support.
