Ledyard ―The Avalonia Land Conservancy Inc. has announced its acquisition of a nearly 260-acre preserve previously owned by The Nature Conservancy.

The preserve encompasses a greenway extending from Lambtown Road to Ledyard High School. This includes the Burton property currently managed by the Ledyard Conservation Commission.

“Avalonia looks forward to a close collaboration with the Town on the overall Management Plan for this significant greenway,” said Avalonia board President Dennis S. Main in a release earlier this month.

The Nature Conservancy assembled the 259.26-acre preserve over a 17-year period from three separate donors. Avalonia in the past has managed the preserve’s trail system, including former bridle paths.

The so-called Pike-Marshall-Mummert tracts “provide numerous environmental, educational and passive recreation opportunities,” according to Avalonia’s release. “Avalonia looks forward to a close collaboration with the Town on the overall Management Plan for this significant greenway.”

Avalonia cited several good-sized land transfers in the past from The Nature Conservancy, including the Bell Cedar, Bindloss, Cottrell Marsh and Barrett preserves as an indication of important ways the two organizations have collaborated in the past. It added that Avalonia expects to close on several more conservation properties by this year, bringing its total conserved acreage to just under 5,000.

For more information about Avalonia, email avalonialc@yahoo.com.

l.howard@theday.com