Day 30: Inverness Glen Preserve

Forested parcel with winding brook at base of Prospect Ridge in southwest Cheshire. Adjacent to CLT's Russell Family Preserve and Naugatuck State Forest.

Size: 4.7 acres

Nearest Road: Inverness Court

Public Access: Yes

Acquisition: December 2015

Donors: Whitney & Lori Watts, and Chris Baillie

The Cheshire Land Trust acquired the Inverness Glen Preserve in December 2015, thanks to the generosity of Whitney & Lori Watts and Chris Baillie.  As of November 2016, this 4.7-acre property is CLT's most recent acquisition.

In addition to its inherent values, Inverness Glen provides a direct connection to CLT's 40-acre Russell Family Preserve to the west.  The property is also adjacent to a portion of the Naugatuck State Forest to the southwest, and to residential lots along Inverness Court to the north and south.  It lies at the base of Prospect Ridge near the ridge's southern end.  This acquisition provides the potential for additional public access to the Quinnipiac Blue Trail, which runs along the ridge and through a portion of the Russell Family Preserve.

The CLT land has a narrow frontage along Inverness Court where an unnamed stream cuts through a small ravine and crosses under the road on its decent towards Willow Brook. 

The western portion of Inverness Glen slopes upwards, first gently, then more steeply where it joins the Russell Family Preserve. A portion contains sloped wetlands, and is somewhat rocky. The entire property is dominated by mixed hardwoods, especially oak, maple, tulip poplar, and ash. The wetland areas contain some spicebush; Christmas fern is scattered throughout the forest floor. Some of the oak and tulip poplars in the western portion of the parcel are rather large. Part of the property has evidence of a historic micro-burst or wind storm that blew down several mature trees, up-rooting them. The resulting deadwood, or “coarse woody debris” can be valuable for small mammal and amphibian habitat.

Inverness Glen's acquisition is another great example of co-operative efforts (in this case, adjacent parcels owned by the State and the CLT) to protect greenspaces and greenways in Cheshire.

The Inverness Glen Preserve is open to the public but there are not currently any formal walking trails - re-establishment of a trail is planned in the future.  Our current recommendation is to appreciate the property's aesthetic qualities while passing by on Inverness Court, and keeping an eye out for wildlife making use of this preserved land.  Look for a CLT boundary marker where the stream passes under the road through a large culvert.

More about the Inverness Glen Preserve and CLT's involvement in open space preservation efforts along Prospect Ridge are on the CLT website's Prospect Ridge Preservation page.

Do you live next to or near the Inverness Glen Preserve?  Tell us about what you've seen on this land!  Please join the Cheshire Land Trust at www.cheshirelandtrust.org to help us protect and maintain this and other great open space properties around Cheshire.  

Day 29: Josephine's Woods Preserve

Forested wetland and surrounding uplands with rocky outcrops in northwestern Cheshire.

Size: 6 acres

Nearest Road: Waterbury Road

Public Access: Yes

Acquisition: December 2014

Donors: Francis Roke, Jr.  & Diane M. Tansley

The Josephine's Woods Preserve (or "Josephine's Woods") was donated to the Cheshire Land Trust in December 2014.  The 6-acre property was donated by Francis Roke, Jr and his sister Diane M. Tansley in memory of their grandmother, who previously owned the land.

This donation marked CLT's first acquisition in the western portion of Cheshire near Waterbury and Wolcott.  The rugged upland property has frontage along Waterbury Rd. opposite Blackie's hot dog stand. It is surrounded by residential areas along Hall Drive and Edgecomb Road to the east and west, an by other woodlands to the south.

Josephine's Woods has wetlands covering about 40% of the acreage. The remainder of the property is forested with mixed hardwoods and is noteworthy for rocky outcrops along Edgecomb Rd.

The property has provided a habitat for wildlife of all sorts and has been undisturbed since it was acquired by the family in 1938.

In summarizing the donor’s intent, Mr. Roke said in a note to CLT: "This was my grandmother’s first piece of ownership in her newly adopted country and now we have come full circle with its return, by this donation, to the Cheshire Land Trust."

More information about this property is on the CLT website's Josephine's Woods page.

The Josephine's Woods Preserve is open to the public, but be forewarned that it contains some wet areas and rather dense vegetation throughout much of the acreage.  There are no marked trails.  Our recommendation is to appreciate its aesthetic qualities while passing by on Waterbury Road, and keeping an eye out for wildlife making use of this preserved land.

Do you live next to or near the Josephine's Woods Preserve?  Tell us about what you've seen on this land!  Please join the Cheshire Land Trust at www.cheshirelandtrust.org to help us protect and maintain this and other great open space properties around Cheshire.

Day 28: Leavenworth Tree Farm Easement

Conservation easement protecting a local Christmas tree farm property and associated woodlands in eastern Cheshire.

Size: 38 acres

Nearest Road: Coleman Road

Public Access: No

Acquisition: March 2003

Donor: The Knickerbocker, Leavenworth, and Palmer Families

The Leavenworth Tree Farm Easement (a.k.a. the Leavenworth, Palmer & Knickerbocker Family Conservation Restriction) is a conservation easement donated to the Cheshire Land Trust by the Leavenworth, Palmer, and Knickerbocker Families in March 2003.  As of 2016, this is CLT's largest single easement gift, and the most recent.  

The Leavenworth Tree Farm property is bordered to the east by Coleman Road, to the north by lots along Ashley Court, and to the west by residential properties on Radmere Road.

The property consists of gently sloping undeveloped open space land, primarily forest and fields associated with the Leavenworth Christmas Tree Farm. The property has been owned by the Leavenworth family since 1952.

The Leavenworth & Knickerbocker families determined that a Conservation Restriction on the property will promote its charitable purposes of protecting areas of rural, scenic, agricultural,watershed, and natural resource value in their hometown of Cheshire.

The agreement with the CLT ensures that their farm property may be used now and in the future for agricultural, passive recreational, horticultural, animal husbandry, equestrian, forestry, and related purposes, with no residential development on the property now or in the future.  38 acres of the 42 acre farm are protected by the easement.

Sue Knickerbocker provided this perspective on the donation and some background on the farm's history...

"My father graduated from Yale School of Forestry before joining the army (WWII). When he came home from the war he wanted to find a peaceful spot to live and in 1952 he found this farm for sale in Cheshire. My mother attended Yale Art School and had grown up in older homes and had a deep interest in the architecture of the farm buildings. She was also a bird lover and conservationist and they both found this farm as a place to fulfill their dreams."

Much more about the Leavenworth Tree Farm Easement, including a detailed history of the Leavenworth Family's history on the land, is at the CLT website's Leavenworth Tree Farm page.

For the last 65 years this beautiful property has remained mostly unchanged. It is a defining piece of Cheshire's remaining rural and farming heritage.

The Leavenworth Tree Farm property is private land with a a conservation easement in favor of CLT. There is no public access unless posted by the owners for the seasonal sale of their Christmas trees.

Tell us about what you've seen on this land!  Please join the Cheshire Land Trust at www.cheshirelandtrust.org to help us protect and maintain this and other great open space properties around Cheshire.  

Day 27: Anderson Easement

Conservation easement protecting in-town woodland near West Main Street.

Size: 4.73 acres

Nearest Road: West Main Street

Public Access: No

Acquisition: December 2009

Donors: Eric Anderson &
Brenda Anderson-Killer

The Anderson Easement was donated to the Cheshire Land Trust by Brenda Anderson-Killer and her son Eric Anderson at the end of 2009.  At the time, it was CLT’s first new acquisition in about three years.  

The easement boundaries lie between West Main Street, Warren Street, and Kristen Court; there is no direct road frontage, as the Anderson's own additional land which includes a house.  Together, the Anderson Easement and the Willow Brook Preserve (Day #6) create open space "bookends" for the West Main Street Commercial District, with the Farmington Canal Linear Trail running through its center.

Under the terms of the easement, a permanent deed restriction, the donors and the Land Trust agreed that this 4.73-acre woodland, just off West Main Street, will remain undeveloped. Mr. Anderson and his mother Brenda Anderson-Killer, were the joint donors of the easement, preserving the natural resources, while giving up the right to build on the land.

Additional conservation values cited in the easement include:
  1. Provision of food and shelter for birds and animals,
  2. Prevention of erosion,
  3. Protection of air quality, and 
  4. Protection of water quality in the Willow Brook watershed.

The landowner(s) may enjoy passive recreation – walking, bird watching, and berry-picking on this property just as the Anderson family has for many years.

This is one of several conservation easements held by CLT.  Like most of these easements, the Anderson Easement is not open to the public.  All of the Cheshire Land Trust's easements are listed on the CLT website Properties page.

Do you live next to or near the Anderson Easement?  Tell us about what you've seen on this land!  Please join the Cheshire Land Trust at www.cheshirelandtrust.org to help us protect and maintain this and other great open space properties around Cheshire.

Day 26: Carroll Woods Preserve

Wooded acreage containing a portion of Mountain Brook in southwest Cheshire; adjacent to Brooksvale Farm Preserve Easement.

Size: 4.5 acres

Nearest Road: South Brooksvale Road

Public Access: No

Acquisition: December 2005

Donor: Don Drago

The Carroll Woods Preserve was donated to the Cheshire Land Trust by Don Drago in December 2005.  The Brooke Memorial Acquisition (Day #23) was completed the same month, making 2005 a very good year for CLT!

The property lies to the northeast of the the CLT's Brooksvale Farm Preserve Easement.  It is surrounded on other sides by residential properties along South Brooksvale Road (to the west) and Cranberry Lane (to the north and east).  Carroll Woods' boundaries also contain a 50-foot-wide strip that runs to South Brooksvale Road.

The property is covered with mostly hardwood tree species and also contains a portion of Mountain Brook.  This is the same brook that flows through CLT's Charmichael Sanctuary (Day #9) further upstream.  After passing through Carroll Woods, Mountain Brooks meets up with Willow Brook along the Farmington Canal Linear Trail.

The Carroll Woods Preserve provides excellent woodland habitat adjacent to the Brooksvale Farm's open fields.  CLT's ownership also ensures protection for a portion of Mountain Brook.  This CLT preserve is not open to the public.

Do you live next to or near the Carroll Woods Preserve?  Have you ever passed it on the Linear Trail?  Tell us about what you've seen on this land!  Please join the Cheshire Land Trust at www.cheshirelandtrust.org to help us protect and maintain this and other great open space properties around Cheshire.

Day 25: Ives Farm

Iconic Cheshire farm in northeast Cheshire with extensive woodlands and Quinnipiac River frontage.  CLT's largest single acquisition.

Size: 164 acres

Nearest Road: Cheshire Street

Public Access: Yes/No (see below)

Acquisition: August 2006

Donor: Elizabeth Ives

The Cheshire Land Trust acquired Ives Farm in August 2006. The historic farm is the bequest of Betty Ives, the beloved and dedicated farmer who by sheer force of will began her farming career upon the death of her husband Eddie Ives in 1967.

Ives Farm is the first farm the trust has owned and operated as working farm. Over the past several years CLT has been following a farm management plan to meet the needs of the community and to fulfill the vision of Betty Ives.  The farm operation is currently run by T&D Growers. 

While Ives Farm is best known for its rich fields visible from Cheshire Street, the property contains an 80-acre woodland that includes several forest types, wetlands, and a powerline corridor. This woodland contains a rich diversity of plant and animal habitats. Betty Ives' will stipulated that this woodland must be maintained and managed "in accordance with good forestry practices."

Cheshire Street runs north-south between the two halves of the Ives Farm property. Several residential streets ring the south and eastern sides. CLT's Pelz Farm borders Ives Farm to the northwest, and the Quinnipiac River runs along Ives Farm's western boundary. With the addition of Ives Farm, CLT became the largest private owner of riverfront along the Quinnipiac River in Cheshire.

Hiking trails in the Ives Woodlands pass through mature stands of oak, mixed hardwoods, and one of the largest stands of old field cedars in Cheshire. While the farmed portion of the property has remained largely unchanged over the past 100 years, the woodlands have slowly converted from pastureland to mature forest. A detailed hiking trail map is on the CLT website. The trails are closed Monday-Friday each November and December for wildlife management purposes.

The Ives Farm farmstand and trails are open to the public. The remainder of the property is not. The farmstand and Cheshire Street trail entrance is across from 1585 Cheshire Street. An additional trail entrance is at the end of Northpond Road.

Much more about the CLT's Ives Farm, and numerous photos, are on the CLT website's Ives Farm page.  CLT has also produced a short video with aerial views of the farm.

Do you live next to or near Ives Farm?  Tell us about what you've seen on this land!  Please join the Cheshire Land Trust at www.cheshirelandtrust.org to help us protect and maintain this and other great open space properties around Cheshire.  

Day 24: Thanksgiving Day

November 24, 2016 is Thanksgiving Day.

It's a day of thanks, and a day of rest for CLT's 30 Properties in 30 Days.

Day 23: Brooke Preserve & Kolstad Woods Preserve

44 Acres of managed woodlands in southeast Cheshire, with 1 mile of blazed hiking trail.

Brooke Preserve
Size: 40.06 acres

Nearest Road: Sperry Road

Acquisition: May & December 2005

Donor: Elizabeth Brooke Carpenter

Kolstad Woods
Size: 4 acres

Nearest Road: Coleman Road

Acquisition: November 2014

Donors: Dr. Leonard & Karen Kolstad

CLT's adjoining Brooke Preserve and Kolstad Woods are a 44-acre woodland preserve in southeast Cheshire, laying between Sperry Road, Cook Hill Road, and Coleman Road.  

Elizabeth Carpenter resided with her family on 45 acres of hilly forested property that included what is now the Brooke Preserve.  The property was acquired over time by her father and had served as a summer retreat for her family beginning in the 1920s. She hoped to see it preserved as she had always known the land to be... wild and little changed by the imprint of man. The family managed the land for wildlife habitat and timber, with the most recent forest thinning occurring about 20 years ago.  Mrs. Carpenter's wish was fulfilled when CLT Acquired 40 acres in 2005.

Nine years later, in 2014, Dr. Leonard and Karen Kolstad donated an adjacent 4 acres of woodlands to the Cheshire Land Trust, creating Kolstad Woods, and enlarging the overall protected land to 44 acres.

The properties are open to the public.  Look for a small parking area and a sign along the east side of Sperry Road, about 1/4 mile north of Cook Hill Road.  The property's blue-blazed trails loops around the entire preserve, and offers views into Kolstad Woods.  Portions of the trails are a little steep, so please use caution.

Much more about both of these great CLT properties, including a detailed hiking trail map, is on the CLT website's Brooke Preserve & Kolstad Woods page.


Do you live next to or near the Brooksvale Preserve?  Have you ever passed it on the Linear Trail?  Tell us about what you've seen on this land!  Please join the Cheshire Land Trust at www.cheshirelandtrust.org to help us protect and maintain this and other great open space properties around Cheshire.  

Day 22: Giddings Farm Easement

Working farm property in southeast Cheshire along Boulder Road; adjacent to Boulder Knoll Farm and part of Cheshire's east side greenbelt.

Size: 16.0 acres

Nearest Road: Boulder Road

Public Access: No

Acquisition: December 2003

Donors: Anne & Robert Giddings

In 2006, Anne and Bob Giddings completed the process of placing most of their farm acreage under a conservation easement in favor of the Cheshire Land Trust.  Among other local accomplishments, Anne Giddings was a former CLT Board Member.  A total of 16 acres are protected.

The property is located near Boulder Road in southeast Cheshire, in between the Town-owned Boulder Knoll Farm and the Cheshire-Wallingford town line.  The Giddings house and farm buildings (not part of the easement) lie between the conserved land and Boulder Road.

Much of the acreage is farm field. It also contains a wooded area through which a small stream flows down a secluded gorge.

The farm is still actively managed, and is strategically important in the CLT's goals of preserving Cheshire farms. In addition to tending to his own farm, Bob Giddings has become active in "Friends of Boulder Knoll", a group of concerned citizens interested in continuing farming on Boulder Knoll Farm. Together, Boulder Knoll and the Giddings' Farm are both part of a large, long range goal of a preserved east Cheshire greenbelt.

Much more about this property is on the CLT website’s Giddings Farm page. The Giddings Farm Easement is not open to the public.  There are periodic public events held on the next-door Boulder Knoll Farm. 

Do you live next to or near the Giddings Farm Easement?  Tell us about what you've seen on this land!  Please join the Cheshire Land Trust at www.cheshirelandtrust.org to help us protect and maintain this and other great open space properties around Cheshire.  

Day 21: Seymour and Emma Pelz Farm Preserve

Hay fields with scenic westward views from Cheshire Street, and Quinnipiac River frontage, in northeast Cheshire.  

Size: 13.1 acres

Nearest Road: Sylvan Lane

Public Access: Yes

Acquisition: August 2001

Donor: Emma Pelz

Emma “Lee” Pelz had several choices to make when considering the future of her land, including selling it for development.  Her choice, a very generous one, was to give it to the Cheshire Land Trust.

On September 6, 2001, Pelz donated a 13.1-acre parcel (excluding her house and three acres) to the CLT as the “Seymour and Emma Pelz Farm Preserve”.  As part of the condition of the gift, she stipulated that the property retain its agricultural character with limited use of chemicals and pesticides. Retention of the property’s agricultural appearance and westward views are emphasized in the gifting documents.

View of Pelz Farm Preserve, September 2016

The property is on the west side of Cheshire Street, bordered to the west by the Quinnipiac River and to the south by CLT’s Ives Farm.  Pelz’s former house to the north is a private residence.  The majority of the property is open field, except for a wooded riparian buffer that runs along the Quinnipiac River, and narrow treelines along Cheshire Street and the Ives Farm boundary.  There is a small spring-fed pond on the property that has been very dry for the past few years.  During wet times, the pond has supported freshwater mussels.

Haying on Pelz Farm Preserve - early summer 2016

Maps and documents in the CLT archives suggest that the Pelz property has been continuously farmed since at least the early 20^th Century.  Based on the known history of the adjacent Ives Farm and similar site conditions, it is possible, if not likely, that the Pelz Farm has been in some level of active agriculture since at least the mid-1800s. The Pelz Farm Preserve is currently managed for hay.

Mrs. Pelz preserved her land and provided an enduring legacy for the Pelz family. At the time of the donation, Mrs. Pelz said or her husband: “Sy loved this property and wanted it to stay the same. I wanted to honor his wishes. And for me it has been a very satisfying process because now I know the land will be taken care of.”

The Seymour and Emma Pelz Farm Preserve is not currently open to the public, but provides terrific westward views from Cheshire Street.  More about this property is on the CLT website’s Pelz Farm Preserve page.

Do you live next to or near the Seymour and Emma Pelz Farm Preserve?  Have you ever passed it on Cheshire Street or seen it in the distance from Ives Farm?  Tell us about what you've seen on this land!  Please join the Cheshire Land Trust at www.cheshirelandtrust.org to help us protect and maintain this and other great open space properties around Cheshire. 

Day 20: Old Farms Preserve

Wildlife and bird sanctuary; woods and meadow on traprock uplift, in southeast Cheshire.

Size: 6.3 acres

Nearest Road: Old Farms Road

Public Access: Yes

Acquisition: December 1998

Donor: Barbara Consolo, James Krieg, and Robert Roth

The Old Farms Preserve was donated to the Cheshire Land Trust by three adjacent landowners on Old Farms Road that wished to see the land preserved rather than developed as housing.  They purchased three undeveloped subdivision lots totaling six acres, and gave the land to CLT in December 1998.

Located in the far southeast corner of Cheshire, Old Farms Preserve is just north of the Old Lane Road / Old Farms Road intersection.  The preserve is bordered to the north and south by residential properties, to the east by Old Farms Road, and to the west by the Town of Cheshire's large (200+/- acre) Dedominicis Property.

A mixture of woods and meadow-like conditions cover the property.  The forested areas contains relatively young and small trees.  This is due to the area having been disturbed by farming and then subsequently for subdivision development, along with shallow and rocky soils that prevent vigorous tree growth.  There are also a few small wet patches.  The western portion of the preserve slopes down sharply towards the Dedominicis Property, where the soils get better and the trees larger.

Mix of forested and meadow habitat - Old Farms Preserve

Running though the center of the preserve is a large powerline.  Eversource Energy's transmission line maintenance program periodically performs tree and shrub cutting to make sure the vegetation does not interfere with the powerlines.  This work also has the effect of maintaining the area as shrub and meadow habitat.  Having this and other small open areas right next to large preserved forested areas is particularly beneficial to many wildlife species such as raptors.  The "interface" between the two areas is called "edge habitat".  If three different habitat types come together, the intersection point is called a "covert".  Coverts are considered quite valuable for a wide range of wildlife diversity.

A sign announcing the Old Farms Preserve was installed by local boy scouts in 2015.  A lightly-marked trail winds from Old Farms Road, along the power lines, and then down the hill, connecting up with trails on the Dedominicis Property.  

Old Farms Preserve is open to the public.  Look for the sign along the west side of Old Farms Road, just north of Old Lane Road.  

Do you live next to or near the Old Farms Preserve or the adjacent Town open space?  Have you ever hike the trails in the area?  Tell us about what you've seen on this land!  Please join the Cheshire Land Trust at www.cheshirelandtrust.org to help us protect and maintain this and other great open space properties around Cheshire.  

For more information about the Town of Cheshire's Dedominicis Property, and a trails maps, see the Town of Cheshire Open Space webpage. (Note: CLT is not affiliated with the Town or its open space program.)