The name Pigeon Swamp refers to the passenger pigeons whose flocks once filled the skies before they became extinct. They came to the 40-acre marsh and feasted on beech nuts, abundantly provided by the adjacent thick stands of American beech trees.
The property hosts second-growth deciduous forest, old pasture and shallow emergent marsh. Of historic interest are the remains of an old house foundation, mill, dam and sluiceway on Pigeon Swamp Brook. A grist mill was in operation there as early as 1777.
The preserve is being managed primarily as wildlife habitat, and ongoing restoration of old pastures may be observed. In Southern New England, early succession habitat is one of the most uncommon habitats. Here you will observe pioneering species that support wildlife, like fruit-bearing red cedar and black cherry trees, groves of staghorn sumac and patches of speckled alders.
Pigeon Swamp is a-135 acre preserve in Lebanon, Connecticut, that was given to Joshua’s Trust by Dr. Mervyn H. Little and his wife, Dr. Olga A. G. Little. The Littles were medical pioneers in Eastern Connecticut. Their concern for the protection of the land and their friendship with two long-time Trust members, Dr. Sam Dodd and Dr. Frank Bird, led to their generous gift of this preserve in 1996.
Joshua's Trust preserves natural habitats and heritage sites in northeastern Connecticut. To learn more contact:
From the north (Willimantic), take Route 32 south to the intersection of Route 203, turn right, go straight up the hill onto Machine Shop Hill Road, to the first left, Pigeon Swamp Road, just beyond the firehouse. Follow the road to the end, where there is room for several cars to park. You will see the sign for the entrance to the Preserve.
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