Morgan R. Chaney Sanctuary

Town: Montville

Directions: I-95 to Exit 82. Go north on Route 85 about 6.5 miles to right on Turner Road just past Lake Konomoc. The entrance to the preserve is on the left, just past the intersection with Ridge Hill Road. A second entrance is located off Fire Street.

Where to park: Limited parking is available along the road.

Description: A 233-acre hardwood mature forest coursed with stone walls. Remnants of an 18th-century farmstead are located at the northern end of the parcel. New signs and trail improvements have been recently completed.

Regulations: Open dawn to dusk

Amenities: None

Natural Features: A small stream supports native brook trout. Hardwood forests support scarlet tanager, ovenbird, hooded warbler and red-eyed vireo, among other species.

Fees: None

Things to note: A 10-acre area around the former farmstead has been cleared as part of a habitat improvement project to attract New England cottontail rabbits and bird species that need shrubby areas for nesting. These include blue-winged warbler, chestnut-sided warbler, Eastern towhee, brown thrasher, field sparrow and indigo bunting.

Owned by: Connecticut Audubon Society

More information: http://www.ctaudubon.org/sanctuaries/#sthash.f1Acydci.dpbs