Sunday, March 7, 2010

Gone Walking - To Quiet Avalonia Land Preserves

True silence is hard to find.

Yet on the lands owned and managed by Avalonia Land Conservancy (ALC) it is possible to escape the ever-present sound of traffic or dogs barking and find solace in the quiet.

ALC owns more than 2,500 acres of land preserved as perpetual open space for passive enjoyment, and that includes walking, bird watching, nature study, and photography.

By the way, Avalonia refers to the region of igneous and metamorphic rock formations underlying southeastern Connecticut.

According to the organization's Web site, the land trust was formed originally to "accept land in the towns of Groton, Ledyard, North Stonington, and Stonington. The towns of Griswold, Preston, and Voluntown joined the land trust in 1972. Sprague was added in 2007."

Parcels range in size from a half acre to 142 acres. Some parcels are of historic interest, containing colonial-era stone walls, old foundations and wells, and even a unique sheep wash in Ledyard.

The ALC also owns two islands in Long Island Sound: Sandy Point, Rhode Island and South Dumpling, New York.