Nestled between the railroad tracks and the Pawcatuck River lies 148 undeveloped acres of pristine forest and wetlands full of
wildlife.
Now the land is guaranteed to stay that way.
The Nature Conservancy has donated the site, valued at $250,000, to the Westerly Land Trust for preservation, after receiving a grant from
the Champlin Foundations.
"It's a bit land-locked, but it's a substantial and beautiful piece of property," Westerly Land Trust President Harvey C. Perry said.
The land trust plans to work with the Boy Scouts to develop a management plan for the parcel, because the property lies next to a Boy
Scout camp.
"It's an important property to us because it's part of the Pawcatuck River Corridor project," Perry said. "We're trying to preserve the
wildlife habitat, the ducks, the otters, the herons and all the other animals."
The parcel also includes part of the town's aquifer -- Westerly's only source of drinking water, according to Perry.
The trust also acquired a one-acre parcel that will expand the existing Dr. Lewis Pond Preserve.
The land was a gift from lawyer Thomas J. Ligouri Jr. and his wife, Anne G. Ligouri, of Westerly.
It consists of approximately one acre between Dr. Lewis Pond and Littlebrook Road. The stream from the pond flows through the site.
"What makes this parcel so special is that it lies directly across Dr. Lewis Pond from the seven-acre preserve already owned by the Land
Trust," Perry said. "Visitors can now take the trail down to the pond and look across to other permanently protected shoreline and
woods."
The preserve includes a portion of a large glacial kettle pond known as Dr. Lewis Pond, a rare Atlantic white cedar swamp and uplands with
stands of large trees and wild mountain laurel.
Perry also reported that a group of the pond's neighbors joined with representatives of the Land Trust and other volunteers to expand the
previously existing trail on the preserve into a loop through the forest.
People interested in learning more about the Westerly Land Trust or in becoming members are invited to send a request for a brochure to
the Westerly Land Trust, PO Box 601, Westerly, RI 02891.