The Conservation Fund, a national nonprofit organization that helps preserve land, will provide a $700,000 bridge loan to the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center's Coogan Farm to help renovate the farmhouse and barn.

This is the second bridge loan The Conservation Fund has given the nature center for Coogan Farm; the first provided for purchase of the land in 2013.

"This is a new direction for The Conservation Fund, which until now has supported land acquisitions," Maggie Jones, executive director of the nature center said in a prepared statement. "They gave us their support for the land acquisition, and now they are taking it to the next level, helping us complete the renovations to the buildings that will be home to classrooms. This helps us to connect people to nature and to the land."

The farmhouse at Coogan Farm will be named the John E. Avery House and Welcome Center, honoring two generations of John E. Averys, according to a nature center news release.

The farmhouse will include the property's welcome center, a farm and nature store, classrooms, a teaching kitchen and some administrative space.

The barn next to the farmhouse will house classroom and exhibit space for nature-related creative arts workshops, lectures and exhibits. The Nature Center hopes to hold a grand opening of the farmhouse and barn late this fall.

d.straszheim@theday.com

Twitter: @DStraszheim