The Bethany Land Trust has acquired 36.1 acres of open space from the Giovanelly Family Trust and other family members. Located at 89 Russell Road in the southern part of Bethany, Hidden Brook Preserve includes approximately 8 acres of a mix of woodland and rocky outcrops encircling approximately 28 acres of rich woody marsh, which protects songbirds, wild flowers, and other wildlife.
This property borders the Town of Bethany’s 74-acre Carrington Preserve (managed by the Bethany Land Trust) and is close to the Land Trust’s 47-acre Whispering Pines Preserve. A series of trails and easements connect those parcels with trails in the Land Trust’s Bethany Farms system.
Carol Lambiase, President of the Land Trust, says, “We are extremely grateful to all of those who have made this acquisition possible. In addition to generous support of our membership, we received a sizeable sum from a private donor as well as a land acquisition grant of $60,000 from the John T. and Jane A. Wiederhold Foundation, a supporting organization of the Northwest CT Community Foundation. We also received a $15,000 grant from the Fields Pond Foundation.”
Carol says, “A trail that encircles the Preserve will be constructed this summer by a local Boy Scout as an Eagle Scout project and will connect with trails in adjacent open space parcels. Acquisition of this parcel will further Bethany’s open space goals and values, including scenic landscapes, wildlife habitat, recreation, and quality of water.”
The Bethany Land Trust has been engaged in a series of land preservation activities over the past several years:
- Woodward Nature Preserve (36.4 acres) acquired in 2016
- Grobe Preserve (25.2 acres) acquired in 2018
- Whispering Pines (47 acres) acquired in 2022
- Van Epps Preserve (6.9 acres acquired in 2020 and 16 acres acquired in 2023)
- Three Sisters Preserve (20 acres) acquired in 2023
The Land Trust now owns 31 properties totaling 473 acres and is steward to some 200 additional acres of easements.