| Fast Facts |
location
five miles northwest of Bridgeport
ecoregion
Lower New England
project size
72 square miles
preserves
Lucius Pond Ordway/Devil's Den, Katharine Ordway, numerous small land trust preserves
public lands
Wooster Mountain State Forest, Collis P. Huntington State Park, Putnam Memorial State Park, numerous municipal conservation reserves
partners
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, Aquarion Water Company, towns of Redding and Weston, Aspetuck Land Trust, Redding Land Trust
conservancy initiatives
Freshwater, Invasive Species
natural events
woodland wildflowers bloom, spring; migratory songbirds arrive, spring; spectacular fall color; hawk migration, fall | |
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| A native-forest cloister in the densely populated suburbs of southwestern Connecticut, the Saugatuck Forest Lands survive as one of only a few remnants of the great coastal forests that once covered the eastern seaboard. |
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Saugatuck Reservoir from Devil’s Den Preserve.
© Gerry Lang |
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Less than 50 miles from Manhattan, tucked away in Connecticut's populous southwest corner, the Saugatuck Forest Lands comprise a sanctuary of wooded glens, free-flowing streams and vernal pools. Native Americans helped create the open, park-like landscape by routinely setting fires to diminish undergrowth, increase visibility for hunting and attract wildlife. Before suburban development could claim it, the forest was purchased by a water company to protect the watershed. With its mix of more than 500 types of trees, shrubs and wildflowers, it retains its historic character and continues to provide habitat for mink, bobcat, red fox, coyote and as many as 140 bird species.
One of only a few remnants of the coastal forests that once spread along the eastern seaboard from northern Virginia to central Maine, the Saugatuck Forest Lands offer a rare glimpse of the mature mixed hardwood forest native to the region. Small lakes and wetlands lined with maple, hemlock and ferns support frogs, salamanders and wood ducks. Worm-eating warblers dart among dense thickets of mountain laurel as pileated woodpeckers drum their busy rhythm in the broadleaf canopy above. Pink lady's slipper, cardinal flower and Indian pipe color the forest floor. |
Cardinal flower.
© Jeff Lepore |
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The Saugatuck and Aspetuck Rivers run through the Saugatuck Forest Lands. In these streams, young author and artist James Prosek, the "Audubon of the Fishing World," cast his first fly rod and developed a passion for trout. Here the legendary Nature Conservancy philanthropist Katharine Ordway made the first of what would become her many donations of land for conservation. | |
Northeastern coastal forests were the first to suffer when Europeans began to colonize New England more than 300 years ago. What fragments endure today must compete with the growth of cities and suburbs in one of the most densely populated regions of the United States. The Nature Conservancy joined with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection to acquire 15,000 acres of forestland from a private water company. We will continue to work with these and other conservation partners to protect additional land essential to the integrity of the forest and the Saugatuck River watershed.
Learn more about The Nature Conservancy's work in Connecticut. |
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| Conservation Profile |
targets
pink lady's slipper, cardinal flower, Indian pipe, worm-eating warbler, wood duck, ruffed grouse, pileated woodpecker, mink, bobcat, red fox, coyote, eastern copperhead
stresses
residential development, overpopulation of white-tailed deer, invasive species
strategies
acquire land, secure conservation easements, encourage conservation management of public land, combat invasive species, protect water quality
results
1,756-acre keystone preserve, Devil's Den, established in 1966; more than 15,000 acres in conservation management | | | | |
