Sept. 30, 2008

Wildlands Trust Preserves 94 Acres in Raynham and Swansea

On September 17, The Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts permanently preserved two outstanding parcels of conservation land. In Raynham, the Trust completed its first-ever project, acquiring a 63-acre parcel known as the “Raynham Oxbow”, and in Swansea acquired 31 acres of diverse habitats on the Massachusetts/Rhode Island border.

The Raynham Oxbow has long been a conservation priority for many interests active in the Taunton River watershed, and the Trust has been working since the late 1990’s to preserve it, most recently as a member of the Taunton River Watershed Campaign. It is one of only four top priority areas for conservation identified in a 1998 Upper Taunton River Corridor Natural Resource Inventory prepared by former Wildlands Trust biologist Brian Reid.

The property includes a 14-acre oxbow island with an esker, several older growth oak trees, one of the larger areas of freshwater tidal marsh along the upper Taunton River, and large stands of wild rice. The oxbow area also provides resting habitat for migratory songbirds and waterfowl. The balance of the premises includes extensive open fields maintained by annual mowing and areas of bottomland forest and red maple swamp, a species known to be important in sequestering carbon. Situated within these wooded habitats are several vernal pools.

The Swansea parcel has frontage on State Rt. 103 and shares an extensive common boundary with the Rhode Island State Line. It is almost entirely wooded, includes a mix of upland and wetland habitats, several potential vernal pools, and a stream that eventually converges with several others to drain into Mt. Hope Bay.

According to Trust Executive Director Karen Grey, “The Oxbow parcel has very high conservation values, and we were very fortunate to have a patient and willing landowner who worked with us to help ensure its protection.”

The generous support of the Sheehan Family Foundation and the Bafflin Foundation made these acquisitions possible, and the Trust extends its sincere thanks to these champions of land conservation in Southeastern Massachusetts.

The Wildlands Trust is a nonprofit land conservation organization founded in 1973 to preserve our region’s natural heritage. Based in Duxbury but active in four counties across Southeastern Massachusetts, the Trust now protects over 5,600 acres in 31 communities, and chairs the Taunton River Watershed Campaign’s Land Protection Committee. To learn more about the Trust’s work, visit www.wildlandstrust.org.