Riverhead to open Sound Avenue Nature Preserve on Saturday

Riverhead will celebrate the opening of a new nature preserve on Sound Avenue just east of the 4-H camp on Saturday, Oct. 6 at 10 a.m.

The town in 2006 approved the purchase of the 15.2-acre site that would become the new preserve. The acquisition was financed by the town’s community preservation fund through the 2-percent transfer tax program. In 2010, the town board approved the recommendation of the town’s open space committee to spend additional CPF money for improvements necessary for public access and passive recreation.

The preserve property is “gracefully sloping open space consisting of an old meadow, pastureland, and woodland,” according to a Town of Riverhead news release announcing the opening.

“While it was very important to conserve this land, we also felt it was critical to give residents an opportunity to benefit from the expenditure of community preservation funds and be able to experience and enjoy the open space,” Councilman James Wooten, the town board liaison to the open space committee, said in the news release.

In the statement, Wooten credited “the dedication and hard work of all the members of the open space committee with their creativity and hands-on approach,” as well as the engineering department and buildings and grounds crew for their effort. Wooten also thanked highway superintendent George Woodson and his crew for the clearing, excavation and signage at the site.

Residents are encouraged to visit the Sound Avenue Nature Preserve and stroll through the old meadow, pasture and woodland, following directional signs along the way.

“On the walk north towards Long Island Sound, the elevation rises, providing a wonderful vista over the glacial outwash plain to the south. Birds, butterflies and small animals abound. Native plantings surround the parking lot and attract even more wildlife to the area. During the coming months, the open space committee will install benches and more signage about the local flora and fauna,” Wooten said.

“This is a special place and one we hope will become a favorite of old and young alike.”

Source: Town of Riverhead news release

RiverheadLOCAL photo by Peter Blasl

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