Kongscut Land Trust

Our Preserves

Albert Ferrari Preserve

166.1 acres

Glastonbury, CT

Booth Woods Preserve

22.6 acres

Glastonbury, CT

Although these three parcels (totaling 17.6 acres) were acquired at different times, they adjoin one another and are administered as one. They are located between Dayton Road, Grindle Brook Road, and Highridge Road. To the south lies the former Reardon land (21 acres) which was acquired as open space by the town around 2008. Booth Woods lies in the Grindle Brook watershed which is considered pristine and eventually flows into Great Pond where at most times of the year it is absorbed by the gravel deposits. Grindle Brook itself flows through a corner of Booth Woods. The entire site is forest covered (oak/hickory forest with a few conifers). The site includes low stone walls defining the eastern and part of the southern border. The terrain is highly uneven, with steep slopes, and with wetlands along the streambeds. There are remnants of old haul roads on the property.

Notable Features

There are several small scale feldspar quarries -long abandoned-on the property at one time operated by a family named Chapman. Feldspar was carted via Main Street and Dug road to the mill near the Water street bridge over Roaring Brook.

Conservation Purpose

Wildlife habitat and protection of water quality at Grindle Brook.

Parcels

  • 31 Dayton Road — 4.4 acres (Owned in Fee)
  • 35 Dayton Road — 1.9 acres (Owned in Fee)
  • Grindle Brook Road Triangle — 0.2 acres (Owned in Fee)
  • Highridge Road — 11.3 acres (Owned in Fee)
  • Raber Easement — 4.8 acres (Easement)

Civitillo Ash Swamp

9.0 acres

Glastonbury, CT

This parcel on the north side of Ash Swamp Rd. Glastonbury, is mostly swamp land with a stream running through it, and another stream defining it's western border towards the back. Both streams feed Roaring Brook. There is a section of town open space to the North, State Forest across the road to the south and a large conservation easement (Zola) to the east. The entire parcel is forest covered including many red maples and a few white ash, as befits the name Ash Swamp.

Notable Features

There are signs of an old fence line along the western border. Small fish have been observed in the stream.

Conservation Purpose

This property serves as a wildlife corridor from the Meshomasic State Forest to the south to the 4000 acre Manchester, water lands which lies across Hebron Ave. to the north. It is also known to be a rattlesnake foraging area.

Diamond Lake Watershed

19.4 acres

Glastonbury, CT

These parcels comprise the south end of Diamond Lake and it's southern shoreline, namely the lake bottom south end, and a 25 foot wide buffer along the shore. It also includes a small parcel just south of the diamond Lake swimming beach. The spillway outflow of Flat Brook. Is owned by KLT but maintained by the Diamond Lake Assn. The south end of the Lake is relatively shallow, ranging from 3' to 10' in depth. The lake supports a healthy population of sunfish perch and. turtles. Water-lilies grow in the shallow areas. There was an active beaver lodge near the south end around 2000 but the beavers are no longer in residence. KLT also holds a conservation easement (together with the town of Glastonbury) 100 feet wide from the edge of the lake.

Conservation Purpose

To protect Diamond Lake water quality.

Parcels

  • Diamond Lake Conservation Easement — 11.0 acres (Easement)
  • Diamond Lake Lake Bottom — 7.7 acres (Owned in Fee)
  • Diamond Lake Spillway R.O.W. (Right-of-Way)
  • Gehrig Lot — 0.1 acres (Owned in Fee)
  • Hansen Lot — 0.1 acres (Owned in Fee)
  • Lot N-19A Imperial Drive — 0.5 acres (Owned in Fee)

Drumlin Hill Preserve

9.3 acres

Glastonbury, CT

These two parcels totaling 9.08 acres were acquired at different times but adjoin one another and are administered together. This preserve lies on a glacial Drumlin located west of Chase Hollow Lane and east of Oakwood Drive. It is accessible by right-of-way from the cul-de-sac at the west end of Chase Hollow Lane. This must have been open land around 1960 because the trees are young.

Notable Features

There's a nice view of Glastonbury village center from the high point.

Conservation Purpose

Protects interesting glacial feature - drumlin.

Parcels

  • Chase Hollow Lane Right-of-Way — 0.2 acres (Right-of-Way)
  • Drumlin Hill — 7.0 acres (Owned in Fee)
  • Drumlin Hill Annex — 2.0 acres (Owned in Fee)

Fern Hollow Preserve

10.9 acres

Glastonbury, CT

These three parcels totaling 10.85 acres were acquired at different times but are administered together. Also adjoining to the east is our Choma easement. The land is accessible from Wickham Road via a 20 foot wide access corridor which runs parallel to the rear lot driveway to 147 Wickham. There is no trail on our corridor. We walk in on the driveway. The land lies between Wickham Road and Chase Hollow lane near the headwaters of Hubbard Brook which flows through the property with extensive wetlands along the brook. It is completely forest covered with tall white pines on the upland areas, and red maple in the wetlands.

Conservation Purpose

Protect Hubbard Brook

Parcels

  • Choma Easement — 0.0 acres (Easement)
  • Fern Hollow — 4.2 acres (Owned in Fee)
  • Fern Hollow Annex — 6.0 acres (Owned in Fee)
  • Fern Hollow Annex Triangle — 0.6 acres (Owned in Fee)

Goodale Hill Preserve

3.8 acres

Glastonbury, CT

This small parcel lies on the south side of Goodale Hill Road 100 yards west of Alligator Rock. It adjoins Meshomasic State Forest east and south and across the road to the north. It is crossed by two intermittent streams which feed Wintergreen Brook - a tributary to Roaring Brook.

Notable Features

There are some good sized white ashes which unfortunately are dying probably due to white ash decline - also some nice big tulip poplars.

Conservation Purpose

Foraging area for state endangered timber rattlesnakes. It is also habitat for other wildlife and a corridor between two sections of Meshomasic State Forest.

Hodges Pond

2.9 acres

Glastonbury, CT

Hollister Preserve/Whitehouse Family Nature Preserve/Bogdan Parcel

70.5 acres

Glastonbury, CT

Although these are technically separate preserves, they adjoin one another and are administered as one. Also adjoining are two areas of town open space creating an island of protected open space totaling about 80 acres. They are located in Glastonbury in the midst of a densely developed part of town lying between New London Turnpike, Tall Timbers Road, and Sherwood Drive. The property is entirely wooded (oak, hickory, red maple in the wet area), but there was a clear-cut of the steep slope rising from the Smith Brook valley about 1990, while the Whitehouse family was still the owner. This created a wide-open view of the Connecticut River valley from Dorothy’s Vista. Kongscut Land Trust intends to maintain this vista by cutting brush as it grows up into the view. Smith Brook, a small perennial stream, flows through the lower section, and the land rises steeply to the south, gaining about 200 feet in elevation in a distance of about 800 feet. There is a popular white blazed loop trail, maintained by KLT, which follows the brook, climbs to the ridge, passes Dorothy's Vista and returns back down the Smith Brook. There are four access trails, all blazed blue and white: 1) Whitehouse Spur: from Tall Timbers Road (this access goes through town owned property and crosses a bridge on town land); 2) Tall Timbers Drive Trail: from the cul-de-sac on Tall Timbers Drive; 3) Vista Trail: from the end of Sherwood Drive (This is the most popular access because it leads directly to Dorothy's vista); 4) Orchard Hill Spur: from Overlook Road next to Orchard Hill Club (this access goes through town owned property and an historic old path).

Notable Features

1) Dorothy's Vista - view of Harford and the Connecticut Valley. On a clear day you can see Springfield and the Holyoke Range 45 miles away. 2) Eastern Border fault follows Smith Brook through the preserves. This is the geological division between the Hartford basin, a rift valley, and the eastern highlands. 3) Two 30" diameter red oaks stand on the ridge. 4) Remnants of a former feldspar quarry in the SE corner.

Conservation Purpose

Wildlife habitat, passive recreation, contemplation, and nature study.

Parcels

  • Baldwin Parcel — 1.0 acres (Owned in Fee)
  • Bogdan Parcel — 5.4 acres (Owned in Fee)
  • Hollister Preserve 1 — 20.9 acres (Owned in Fee)
  • Hollister Preserve 2 — 4.0 acres (Owned in Fee)
  • Hollister Right-of-Way (Right-of-Way)
  • Lot S-45B New London Turnpike — 4.7 acres (Owned in Fee)
  • Whitehouse Family Nature Preserve — 34.5 acres (Owned in Fee)

Landa Family & Costabile Preserve

19.3 acres

Marlborough, CT

A diverse ecosystem in a relatively untouched state. The parcel has a mix of wetlands and rocky areas with ferns, mountain laurel, and oaks being the predominant vegetation. The wetlands drain into a book which abuts the parcel. The brook is a part of the Blackledge River watershed.

Conservation Purpose

Wildlife habitat and protection of water quality.

Scoville Tract

37.1 acres

Glastonbury, CT

Swan Estate & Riley Parcel

117.0 acres

Glastonbury, CT

Although these parcels were acquired at different times they adjoin one another and are administered as one. They are located west of Birch Mountain Rd. Glastonbury Conn., adjoining 4000 acres of Manchester Water Lands to the west & north. A CL&P high- tension power line crosses the property on a utility ROW, but KLT owns the underlying land. Also the Shenipsit Trail and several connector trails pass through these preserves. These trails are maintained by volunteers of Conn. Forest & Parks Assn. The Shenipsit Tr. continues north to Case Mountain in Manchester, and beyond. The Shenipsit Trail is intended for foot traffic only. The property is entirely forest covered (oak-hickory) except for the power line ROW, which is maintained in early succession by CL&P. It lies in the upper watershed of Roaring Brook which feeds the Buckingham Reservoir.

Notable Features

--- State champion witch hazel tree near the northern border. --- Huge glacial erratic on top of the ridge ( Listed by Connecticut DEEP as Geocache site in 2010). --- Beautifully constructed stonewalls on Swan estate parcel. --- A major CL&P electric transmission line runs through it on a power line easement.

Conservation Purpose

Wildlife habitat and hiking trail system, contemplation of nature and nature study, study of glacial geology.

Parcels

  • Riley Tract — 91.0 acres (Owned in Fee)
  • Swan Estate Parcel — 26.0 acres (Owned in Fee)

Zihrup Open Space Preserve

89.7 acres

Glastonbury, CT

This 90 acre parcel lies on the west side of Windham Road Glastonbury CT, partly west of the abandoned section beyond the gate. To drive there you need to go through Marlborough via West St. and Islieb Rd. It is surrounded by state forest to the east, south, and west. There is private land to the north owned by Jurgelas - and Weir which is essentially landlocked with no possibility for an access road. The land is covered with mature forest, except for the highest areas where soils are thin and growth is stunted. The Shenipsit Trail, maintained by CFPA, passes through, and KLT also maintains a loop Trail (blue& white) off Windham Rd.

Notable Features

Tied for the highest point in Glastonbury, with the top of John Tom Hill at elevation 881’. There are a couple of holly trees way back in the woods along the western border. How they got there no one knows. The headwaters of Dickinson Creek, which flows through Marlborough and eventually to the Salmon River, originate on the Zihrup preserve.

Conservation Purpose

Rattlesnake habitat (state endangered species)—Also other wildlife.