Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge - Salt Meadow Unit, Westbrook, Connecticut
Potapaug Audubon is a "Friend of Salt Meadow." There are many "Friends"
groups of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge. Salt Meadow
Unit is one of ten units in this refuge system in Connecticut. Salt Meadow
is located on Old Clinton Road in Westbrook, Connecticut. The U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, a federal government organization, manages Salt
Meadow Unit and the other nine units.
Potapaug's Educational Programs and Events
Potapaug
presents many nature programs throughout the year at Salt Meadow. The
meeting room at the refuge is utilized for indoor programs. Some
programs and events take place outside. Past programs have included
such topics as reptiles, crabs, insects, and birds of prey, all with
live animals. For five years in a row Potapaug has presented the "Walk
on the Wild Side" program in the fall at Salt Meadow. This program
included many different live animals presented along the one mile trail
including a bird banding demonstration. Other program topics have
included Native American Indians, invasive species identification, a
bird watching for beginners class, bears, and many more. Every year in
March, Potapaug presents a program on the woodcock.
Historic Log Cabin at Salt Meadow
The quaint little log cabin located at Salt Meadow Unit was built by trees
felled by the 1938 hurricane. This log cabin was used as a summer vacation
spot by landowners Elizabeth Read, an attorney, and Esther Lape, a leader
in medical reform. Eleanor Roosevelt was a friend of these women and she
would come to the refuge for frequent visits as well. Lape, who survived
Read, gave the 274-acre property, now called Salt Meadow, to the federal
government in 1971.
Log Cabin Restoration
Potapaug was instrumental in getting the historic log cabin at the Salt
Meadow restored. Potapaug met with the managers of U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service and Stewart B. McKinney NWR to expedite the process many years
ago. Funding to renovate this log cabin is granted once a year by the
federal government. Starting in September of 2005, the roof was replaced.
The chimney was repaired soon after that. In November of 2006, the logs
were thoroughly cleaned and some of the logs were replaced due to rot.
Then the logs were stained for uniform color and protection from weather.
The doors and windows of the cabin were replaced in 2007. Hopefully some time in 2009,
the cabin will be wired for electricity for heat and lighting. A floor
will eventually be installed. Potapaug hopes to utilize this log cabin some day
as a location to present educational nature programs. (See picture below)
Trail Repair and Installation
Some of the old trails have been repaired and made handicap-accessible starting at the newly renovated parking lot. A new trail was added to bypass a too-steep and rutted section of the old trail. Ultimately, the trail leads down to the Menunketesuck River where a viewing platform was installed. The driveway leading into the refuge was also resurfaced and a new gate, which opens and closes on a timer at dawn and dusk, was installed.
Additional Information about the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge
The National Forest Service was established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1905 which preserved over 230,000,000 acres of parks, forests, game and bird preserves nationwide.
Salt Meadow NWR was established in 1972 and re-designated by Congress as the Connecticut Coastal National Wildlife Refuge in 1984. The refuge was renamed in 1987 to honor the late U.S. Congressman Stewart B. McKinney who was instrumental in its establishment. The ten units of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge span 70 miles of Connecticut coastline. Stewart B. McKinney NWR is comprised of ten different units that are stretched across Connecticut's shoreline. Salt Meadow is its headquarters.
Located in the Atlantic Flyway, the refuge provides important resting, feeding, and nesting habitat for many species of wading birds, shorebirds, songbirds and terns, including the endangered roseate tern. Adjacent waters serve as wintering habitat for brant, scoter, American black duck and other waterfowl. Overall, the refuge encompasses over 800 acres of barrier beach, tidal wetland and fragile island habitats.
Salt Meadow Unit, in Westbrook, CT, and Falkner Island Unit, three miles off the coast of Guilford, CT, have both been designation as an "Important Bird Area" by the National Audubon Society. Falkner Island Unit is home to over 124 pairs of nesting, Federally Endangered Roseate Terns and over 3,000 nesting pairs of common terns. Salt Meadow Unit is used by over 280 species of migrating neotropical birds during the spring and fall migrations.
20 Acres were added to Salt Meadow in August, 2008
Please click on this link to learn about the 20 acres Salt Meadow acquired. Potapaug was just one of the many organizations to write letters to delegates in Washington and the State of Connecticut asking for funding for this acquisition.
