Carter Preserve – A Favorite Hiking Spot And Much More

Under the Federal Railroad Administration plan to add new rail lines in the “Old Saybrook to Kenyon Bypass”, the Carter Preserve will be cut in two and its value for wildlife and hikers decimated. Local resident Erin Kenyon shared photographs of her recent hike in the Carter Preserve and her thoughts on what it would mean to lose this amazing place.

I took a wonderful hike at Frances Carter Preserve this weekend as I do most weekends year round and wanted to share the photos with you. This has been one of my family’s favorite hiking spots for the last 20 years or more. I’ve grown up in those woods, on these trails and can’t imagine my life without them. Not only has it been educational learning about the ecosystem and wildlife that resides there but it’s a place of tranquility. To say that I’m opposed to the proposal set forth by the Federal Railroad Administration is an understatement.

Click on any photo below to open a lightbox slideshow.

The 1,112 acre Francis C. Carter Memorial Preserve is owned by The Nature Conservancy and supports a variety of natural communities, most notably rare pitch pine/scrub oak barrens, vernal pools, and a 60+ acre grassland. This preserve is one of the largest protected properties in the state. It joins several thousand acres of contiguous forest and contributes to an 11-mile corridor of open space running from the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge to the state’s Carolina Management Area.

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Do you have a story to tell in words and/or pictures about what will be lost if these rail lines are built? Please share them with us at mail@charlestowncitizens.org.

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