This gift from the Foote Family Charitable Trust is an important addition to the Land Trust's Sybil Creek Coastal Preserve. The donation consists of two separate parcels of upland, totaling 23.4 acres, that lie east of the closed town landfill. The larger piece (19.6 acres) is the wooded upland abutting the salt meadow east of Waverly Park Road, which was given to the Land Trust by The Foote Trust in 1994. The terrain is gently rolling, with a small brook and a healthy mature hardwood forest. The "Branford Trail" runs the length of the property. The second 3.8 acre parcel is nearby to the east and contains some wetlands and upland forest. The preservation of so much upland adjoining the salt marsh increases the habitat value of both areas.

Beth Dock and Jim Perito, Co-Chairs of the Land Trust's Acquisition Committee, received the unexpected news that The Wallace H. Foote Family Charitable Trust was giving its remaining undeveloped properties in Branford to the Land Trust and the Town of Branford. The announcement came from Richard (Dick) Snyder, attorney for the Foote Trust, and Irene S. Melasky, Vice-president for Not-For-Profit Investment Management at Fleet Bank, who manages the Foote Trust's assets.

In addition to the two Sybil Creek parcels, the Land Trust was also given a small rocky island about 100 feet off-shore from Linden Avenue. This will be added to the Land Trust's four other maritime possessions in the Thimble Islands and Short Beach and preserved as nesting sites for shore birds, especially gulls and terns, and as haul-out sites for wintering seals. The Land Trust is pleased to be able to add this island to our collection.

The Town was given almost 6 acres. of wooded upland off of Lantern View Road, north of Pisgah Brook, with a conservation easement to be held by the Land Trust. This donation follows a similar donation of a 14 acre parcel to the east that was made in 1999. These two parcels increase the size of the Pisgah Brook Preserve and provide important protection to the Pisgah/Queach/Supply Ponds watershed. The "Branford Trail" crosses the southern edge of this new addition to the Pisgah Brook Preserve.

These donations culminate a long series of gifts of open space by the Foote Trust. In addition to the Pisgah Brook property donated to the Town, the previous donations include three parcels (more than 12 acres) along the Branford River near the Montowese St. bridge, two parcels (33 acres) on upper Sybil Creek east and west of Waverly Park Road, and a parcel of salt meadow (1.2 acres) in the Summer Island section of Indian Neck. Most recently, the donation of a part interest in a 35 acre parcel and a $75,000 challenge grant to help the Land Trust purchase a 4.5 acre in-holding made the creation of the Short Beach Preserve possible.

After these gifts, The Foote Trust's only properties in Branford will be Foote-Memorial Park on Melrose St. and Foote Riverside Park on Pine Orchard Road, which the Trust operates for the benefit of Branford residents, and a single commercial building.

Special thanks go to Irene Melasky, who, working with Sheila Rostow, shepherded the approval of the donations through several oversight committees at Fleet Bank. Irene's cooperative collaboration with Dick Snyder, attorney for The Foote Trust, Beth Dock and Jim Perito has resulted in key additions to Branford's open space system that will benefit Branford residents for generations to come.