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05/02/2024 07:58 PMPress Release from Essex Land Trust
The Essex Land Trust (ELT) is pleased to accept the donation of Turtle Creek Preserve from The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Connecticut. The transaction was completed on April 25.
ELT has recognized and valued TNC’s stewardship of this protected natural resource since it was donated in 1971 by Dorothy S. Bowles, wife of former Connecticut Governor and U.S. Secretary of State Chester Bowles, and in 1978 by Charles and Dorothy Mills. ELT shares TNC's mission of advancing effective and lasting conservation.
The 96-acre preserve, located in Essex and Old Saybrook, protects wooded uplands and tidal marshes with direct frontage on the Connecticut River. Turtle Creek winds northward through extensive wetlands to a narrow strip of beach along the Connecticut River. Higher ground to the west borders South Cove in Essex. Access to the preserve is from Watrous Point Road off Route 154.
“The Essex Land Trust’s relationship with The Nature Conservancy dates to 1985, when it gifted 97 acres of the Canfield-Meadow Woods Preserve to us,” said ELT president Jeff Croyle after signing the donation agreement. “We are thrilled that it is now donating Turtle Creek Preserve to us, and we look forward to providing local stewardship to this iconic Connecticut River property.”
Sarah Pellegrino, the land protection and strategies manner of TNC in Connecticut, was equally elated with the donation.
“Turtle Creek possesses historical and environmental significance, but it also holds importance as a place where people of all ages connect with nature. To now be stewarded by its very own neighbors and visitors is a fantastic win for this land,” Pellegrino said. “We are so pleased to partner with the Essex Land Trust and to support its conservation work.”
Turtle Creek has a long history. Indigenous people drew water from the spring off the main trail. It was later known as Hayden Point, named after the property’s owner, Uriah Hayden, who built the warship Oliver Cromwell. The area was used as grazing land while Deitch’s Pond was created for ice production.
Animal life includes turtles and amphibians in the old ice pond. Bald eagles and osprey frequent the river and cove, which is also home to ducks and wading birds. The wetlands abound with plant life, including jewelweed, Joe-Pye weed, and buttonbush shrubs. Mountain laurel, oak, birch, and beech trees dominate the higher ground with an occasional pink lady’s slipper in the understory.
The ELT would like to acknowledge that due diligence expenses for the Turtle Creek Preserve transfer were supported with funding from the Connecticut Land Conservation Council’s Transaction Assistance Grant (TAG) program.
The ELT is a Connecticut non-profit corporation nationally accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. Its mission is to acquire, preserve, and manage its open space to protect the environment and small-town character of the villages of Centerbrook, Essex, and Ivoryton. It provides recreational and educational opportunities built upon strategic acquisitions and responsible stewardship of properties. With the addition of Turtle Creek as its 24th preserve, the ELT owns and manages 752 acres of preserves with 35 miles of trails.
TNC is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, TNC creates innovative, on-the-ground solutions to the world’s toughest challenges, so that nature and people can thrive together. Working in more than 70 countries and territories, TNC uses a collaborative approach which engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. The Connecticut chapter of TNC has protected more than 53,000 acres of land and is engaging with communities throughout the state to help build and conserve a more resilient and livable world. To learn more, visit: www.nature.org/CT.