Avalonia Land Conservancy has completed the acquisition of Bell Cedar Swamp in North Stonington, which will now be protected in perpetuity as a nature preserve. Tracts within the swamp had previously been acquired by donation from Mrs. Dorothy Gurnee of North Stonington and by purchase from the Bindloss Trust; the purchase of the remaining tract from Ms. Joanne Lemieux of Groton Long Point completes the acquisition, bringing the total preserve to 73 acres.

The purchase was made possible by grants from the State of Connecticut Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition program, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Nature Conservancy, the Bafflin Foundation, the Fields Pond Foundation, Inc., the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut, the North Stonington Garden Club and by numerous donations from individuals.

?Bell Cedar Swamp is a rare and endangered habitat,? said Avalonia President Duncan Schweitzer. ?Atlantic White Cedar Swamps are increasingly uncommon, and while as wetlands they have little development value, they are at grave risk of indiscriminate logging. This is a property of exceptional beauty and ecological significance and we at Avalonia are proud to have preserved it for the public benefit and for generations to come.?

Avalonia Land Conservancy, Inc. preserves natural habitats in southeastern Connecticut by acquiring and protecting lands and by communicating the value of these irreplaceable resources. Their website is www.avalonialandconservancy,org.