An urban oasis

We are grateful that the Long Wharf Nature Preserve has been chosen by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Land Trust Alliance as an exemplar of environmental consciousness, particularly within an urban setting. This is the second of two videos the New Haven Land Trust has been recently featured in, made possible by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Land Trust Alliance, that explores the importance of forging a connection with our natural spaces amidst an urban environment, and the underlying goal of raising future leaders to help preserve these natural habitats for generations to come.

The Long Wharf Nature Preserve lives in the shadows of New Haven's I-95 corridor and seamlessly merges with the beautiful Long Island Sound. Started in 1994, this 15-acre preserve has become an oasis for wildlife conservation and a place where visitors and residents can reconnect with nature.

Partnering with Audubon Connecticut, the Urban Resources Initiative and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Coastal Program, the New Haven Land Trust has helped reinvigorate the natural migratory bird habitat as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife's Urban Wildlife Conservation Program. The Long Wharf Preserve is a restored natural space where the ecosystem is constantly maintained through the removal of invasive species and inclusion of more plant life, all while being monitored and protected by the New Haven Land Trust.

Together, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Land Trust Alliance are working together at sites like the Long Wharf Nature Preserve to maintain our native species, keeping our natural spaces healthy and beautiful for future generations while promoting the essential lifestyle balance of the urban and natural environments.

Joseph Skiffington is the spring 2019 intern at the New Haven Land Trust.