The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

A Vision for the Dundery Brook Greenway Trail © Peter Jensen

A Vision for the Dundery Brook Greenway Trail.  ©Peter Jensen

The Nature Conservancy has recently received approval to build the boardwalk portion of the Dundery Brook Greenway Trail from the Freshwater Wetlands Program at Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. The proposed Trail is a signature project of the Conservancy’s Campaign for the Sakonnet Landscape and construction is anticipated for the fall of 2011, pending fundraising.

In its application to RIDEM, The Nature Conservancy provided letters of support for the project from the Little Compton Town Council, the Little Compton School Committee, the Wilbur & McMahon School, and the Sakonnet Preservation Association.

The new 1.35 mile long trail (2.7 miles round trip) will provide an outdoor classroom for schoolchildren and the community to engage with nature up close while learning about freshwater resources that supply the community’s drinking water. 

“We are thrilled to move forward on this terrific project to increase the ability of everyone in Little Compton to experience a rarely seen, beautiful place. The Dundery Brook trail is part of our vision of providing access to conservation land for all our neighbors and increasing opportunities for children to learn about their natural environment.” Janet Coit, Rhode Island State Director.

Strong community support is a hallmark of this new public recreational opportunity. With the Town of Little Compton, its school, the Sakonnet Preservation Association, Little Compton Agricultural Conservancy Trust, and other local conservation groups as partners, the Conservancy is proud to help lead this initiative. 

Commencing in the village center and adjacent to the Wilbur & McMahon School, the Dundery Brook Greenway Trail will begin with a 3,000-foot long boardwalk. The boardwalk, four feet wide and handicapped accessible, will begin next to the Town’s tennis courts, and cross Town-owned land for its first five hundred feet. After passing onto The Nature Conservancy’s 118-acre Bumble Bee Preserve, the boardwalk will connect to a previously-existing 4,100-foot long grass path to provide the full 1.35 mile long nature trail.

At the May, 2010, Financial Town Meeting, Little Compton residents authorized the Town to enter into discussions to provide The Nature Conservancy with a trail easement across the forested section of Plat 20, Lot 11, west of the tennis courts, thus enabling the boardwalk to be built. The voice vote was unanimous. Since then, the Town and The Nature Conservancy have met a number of times and the easement discussions are nearing completion. In addition, the grass path portion of the trail passes through two privately owned lots. Both of the private landowners have signed trail easements with the Conservancy to allow walkers to legally cross their properties. 

Following a stem of Dundery Brook, the boardwalk will provide views of the swamp’s hidden treasures while the existing grass trail follows the edge of a pond and historic meadowland that offers numerous opportunities for bird sightings as well as deer and wild turkey. Over 60 bird species use this area as breeding habitat including warblers and vireos, hawks and owls, and wood ducks.

History leading up to the proposed Trail project: For more than 20 years, the Conservancy has been protecting lands and waters in the Sakonnet landscape with its partners, and the success of this work is now providing opportunities to educate the next generation of conservation stewards. Just this past July, the Conservancy opened its new Environmental Center at Goosewing Beach Preserve and expanded educational programs are being planned for next summer. 

Trail building is not something new for the Conservancy in Rhode Island. For the past three decades, it has been a key player in creating 28 miles of greenway trails on Block Island, and in the past few years new trails have been created at Tillinghast Pond Management Area and Carter Preserve in southern Rhode Island. 

With the purchase of Bumble Bee Preserve in 2001, the Conservancy was able to protect a stunning freshwater ecosystem that feeds into Briggs Marsh. However, allowing access to the public, while a topic of discussion among leading conservationists in Little Compton for years, was not as simple given the Preserve is effectively “landlocked”.

“Former Board member and long time supporter of Sakonnet Preservation Association Letitia Carter envisioned and kept beating the drum for this project. SPA has partnered with the Conservancy on this trail in support of her vision and in recognition of its value to users of all ages.” Abigail Brooks.

In the fall of 2008, the Conservancy hired the engineering firm of Caputo and Wick to determine the feasibility of creating a new length of trail that would for the first time allow walkers to connect with the existing path on Bumble Bee Preserve. The Conservancy also convened a Steering Committee of representatives from local conservation groups to oversee and guide the project with Little Compton community member and The Nature Conservancy’s trustee Don McNaughton at the lead. With the cooperation of the Town of Little Compton, the result is a detailed set of plans to construct the boardwalk portion of the trail and the selection of trail builder Peter S. Jensen & Associates, who has completed trail projects across New England. 

Project leader Don McNaughton said, “Thanks to the vision of Letitia Carter and other community members, I have had a wonderful concept to work with. As we’ve brought together a team of experts to work through all the planning details, the project has really gained a head of steam. I’m thrilled with our progress, and look forward to bringing the vision to reality.”

Costs and fundraising: To date, just over $250,000 has been raised towards a construction cost of $485,000 to build the Dundery Brook Greenway Trail. Additional funds will also be sought to establish a stewardship fund to pay for on-going maintenance costs as well as educational programs. Now that state approval has been obtained, the Conservancy and its partners are hopeful that the community will step up to the plate and embrace the project, so the dream can finally be realized. 

To inspire people to support this effort, two matching gift opportunities are available so private gifts can go even further:

• The Carter Family Charitable Trust has made a $100,000 challenge grant to match donations dollar for dollar by the end of 2010
• Newman’s Own foundation has made a matching grant to inspire our Next Generation of conservationists to give to this special trail project

In addition to these matching gift opportunities, local author Piper Hawes’ newest book “Do you see what I see?” (available at Partner’s Village Store this December) is offering all proceeds from the sale of the book to benefit the Dundery Brook Greenway Trail project “for providing families the chance to explore nature on their own and for providing our school children a wondrous and easily accessible outdoor classroom for environmental education”.

The Nature Conservancy works in Rhode Island and worldwide to conserve special places and ecosystems through real estate acquisition and restoration practices. The Conservancy has helped protect over 30,000 acres in the state and over 12 million acres worldwide. To learn more about the Conservancy and its work in Little Compton and Rhode Island visit their website at www.nature.org/rhodeisland.