Westerly Land Trust buys 72-acre former Camp Wahaneeta

Westerly — The Westerly Land Trust announced Wednesday that it has completed its purchase of the 72-acre former Camp Wahaneeta property from the Girl Scouts of Rhode Island, bringing its total conservation land properties to 1,550 acres.

The property, off Bradford-Dunns Corners Road near the Trombino Little League Field Complex, is adjacent to the 800-acre Woody Hill Management Area. It is also near an 11-acre property that the land trust purchased in early 2011 from the Providence Catholic Diocese and hopes to develop for public recreation.

Harvey Perry, land trust president, said in a news release that there is particular excitement about this property because it is within a large scale conservation area targeted for protection running east from Route 78 to Charlestown, and north to the trust’s preserves along the Pawcatuck River.

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to preserve Westerly’s remaining important natural corridors that are crucial to local wildlife and to the protection of our drinking water supply and natural flood storage areas for the community,” Kelly Presley, executive director of the land trust, said.

Perry thanked the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and the Forrest and Francis Lattner Foundation for helping make the purchase possible. The trust’s Conservation Land Stewardship Committee plans to establish walking trails on the property and offer environmental education programs in the lodge during the winter, he said, once repairs are completed.

For information, visit: www.westerlylandtrust.org.