8 April 2018
Osprey Nest Installation

On a windy, bone-chilling morning, Sandy Sanstrom – our osprey mentor – drove his small Boston Whaler up from PYC to Morvella's where he picked up Bill Myers, Pete Yuhasz and Steve Cline. We searched upstream on the Pattaconk River for a suitable spot between Moravella’s and the center of Chester with no success. Not solid enough to hold the foundation for the nest. So we moved downstream just east of the Route 154 bridge over the Pattaconk River. We found a very suitable location about 150-175 yards directly in the center on a solid section of ground. We first dug with a post-hole digger to check out the strength of the ground. All looked good, so we began. Following Sandy’s instructions, we assembled the sections piece by piece which were all built by Pete at his home. After approximately two hours the osprey nest and "husband's perch" were up! 

During the entire installation we could hear the calling of nearby circling ospreys. Reports later indicated the ospreys moved in within several hours of completion. I believe that ospreys “know” the man-made osprey nests as there are hundreds dotted around the river and coast line, and there is a fight for the nesting locations due to the booming osprey populations.

Bill Myers
Co-Chairman of Chester Land Trust Stewardship

Officials from the CT Freedom Trail award special plaques to the Chester Land Trust, owner of the Judge Motley Preserve, and to the current owners of her home on Cedar Lake Road in Chester on Sunday, Oct. 6.  From left to right: Jenny Kitsen, Trustee, Chester Land Trust; Dennis Coleman, home owner; Marta Daniels, Trustee, Chester Historical Society (seated); Todd Levine (at podium), Coordinator of the Freedom Trail; Liz Shapiro, CT Office of Arts and Historic Preservation; and far right: Constance Royster (niece of Motley) and Joel Motley II (son) shown during award ceremony, (Photo by Skip Hubbard)​

​6 October 2019
Chester Land Trust receives state Freedom 
Trail award for Judge Motley Preserve

​On Sunday, Oct. 6, The Chester Land Trust was honored by the state of Connecticut for its Judge Constance Baker Motley Preserve, a 7-acre site on Cedar Lake Road, that was designated a “Heritage Site” on the CT Freedom Trail.  Along with the Preserve, Judge Motley’s former home across the road, now owned privately, was also included.

The public, friends, and family turned out to celebrate as CT Freedom Trail officials from the State’s Historic Preservation Office awarded official plaques to the Chester Land Trust and the homeowners for the 140th site in Connecticut on the Trail. The Motley family received one as well.  Placement on the Freedom Trail is a select designation for sites that celebrate extraordinary African Americans whose efforts expanded freedom and opportunity for all Americans. 

Judge Motley, who had a home in Chester for 40 years, was a legendary civil rights lawyer who helped dismantle segregation in the South, and later became a distinguished federal judge whose landmark decisions shaped American jurisprudence in many areas of American life. 

For more info on Judge Motley and the CLT’s Preserve, click here.

For a video of the Oct 6 ceremony, click here.

3 June 2020

New Picnic Table at Carini Preserve
The Chester Land Trust offers the community a special place to practice social distancing. The Carini Preserve on Water St has a new eight foot picnic table for public enjoyment. Come to the preserve to relax, watch birds, fish and be sure to pack a picnic treat. The Chester Land Trust expresses their appreciation to Robert Muldoon of Killingworth (former Chester resident) for donating the picnic table for everyone to enjoy. 

News
&
​Updates

THE CHESTER LAND TRUST

​Chester, Connecticut

3 April 2019
Removal of Osprey Nest

The osprey nest that was situated in Chester Creek close to the cemetery and close to trees was not occupied for over many years until there was a greater influx of osprey to the area. For the past 4 or 5 years, a family would arrive, a nest would be built, the babies (there is no name for young osprey) would be born and within a week they would be snatched or killed by predators such as owls and/or others waiting to prey on the new family.

We conferred with a person, knowledgeable of osprey and their habitat who has also worked with the Audubon group for years. He made us aware that this was a very unsafe area for the nest and would only result in the same tragic activity year after year. The nest, which was also in poor condition, was removed last week prior to any 2019 osprey setting up a new home. However, if you take a walk down Grote Road or Dock Road ( across the bridge from  Moravellas) you will see the new nest that we installed last year and the 2019 occupants have arrived and are safe and sound. There is a “husband’s” perch and the area is open and clear of trees. We have also built another nest and will install that next year prior to March in another safe location. Thank you to all, so good to know we have people watching over our feathered friends.

info@chesterlandtrust.org