What to See: Plants
Pratt and Post Coves contain 200 adjacent acres of pristine freshwater tidal marsh that include large areas of pickerelweed, arrowleaf, soft-stem bulrush and wild rice. Surrounding these regularly flooded areas are slightly higher natural levees vegetated by cattail, river bulrush and sweet flag.
What to See: Animals
The coves include numerous submerged aquatic plant beds that provide feeding and spawning habitat for fish, including blueback herring, alewife, sea run brown trout, rainbow smelt, white perch and largemouth bass.
Wild rice grows in abundance, attracting many species of migratory birds. A 1983 bird survey identified 48 species at the marshes. Two of the state’s threatened bird species, Coopers hawk and great egret, both visit the marshes. Other species of interest found here include wood duck, green heron, great blue heron, marsh wren, Virginia rail, common snipe, belted kingfisher, osprey, muskrat, deer, snapping turtle, freshwater mussels, and various dragonflies.
Please enjoy your visit to this preserve. The Nature Conservancy welcomes passive recreation, including hiking, birding, canoeing, nature study and cross-country skiing.
To ensure those who visit after you are able to enjoy the same experience you have, please remember to stay on designated trails, pack out everything you brought in, and contact our office at: 203 568 6270 or ct@tnc.org if you notice any problems.
To maintain the ecological integrity of the preserve, the following activities are not allowed: collection of plant or animal specimens, camping, fires, fishing, hunting, bicycling, and use of motorized vehicles. Pets are not allowed on TNC preserves.
