Lucy Hammer and the Branford Land Trust
by Peter Borgemeister

With the death of Lucy Hammer, the Branford Land Trust lost one of its most generous life members, a woman whose life was characterized by service to Branford and the State of Connecticut and a love of the natural world around her.

Lucy and Thorvald Hammer lived on 29 acres of woods, ponds and fields along Cherry Hill Road a short distance up from North Main Street, not far from the center of town. They loved the land and used it constantly for horseback riding, walking, nature study and quiet reflection. Lucy and Thorvald, fearing that the land might at some time be developed, gave the bulk of it to the Branford Land Trust.

At the ceremony in which the Hammers deeded 23 acres to the Land Trust, Lucy said, "Both of us are devoted to the land, and we wanted to see be preserved in perpetuity. I could not bear to see the wildflowers and birds and all these lovely woods go into so called 'progress'. Branford is being filled with condominiums and not developed with much good sense." She concluded, "Donating this land for preservation is one of the happiest things I've ever done!"

The "Lucy T. Hammer Woodlands: A Natural Resources Report and Management Plan" prepared in May, 1985 by students from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies says, "Diversity is the most striking feature of the Branford Land Trust's Lucy T. Hammer Woodlands. Within the land given to the Land Trust lies an impressive array of habitats, natural features and human impacts that converge compactly in one setting".

"Steep traprock hills with east and west exposures, three ponds, moist woodland communities, planted conifer stands and numerous introduced plant species present visitors with a wide selection of atmospheres and vistas to enjoy."

The diversity within this tract has its roots in geologic time. The property's eastern edge runs directly along what is known to geologists as the "Triassic Border Fault. This fault, a feature of the earth's crust, is the result of events that took place during the Triassic Period over 200 million years ago. The fault separates two distinct types of bedrock, the metamorphic rocks of the Eastern Highlands and the sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Connecticut Lowlands.

A second geologic feature within the Hammer Woodlands is a sidehill cut of some Arkosic sandstone on the western side of the fault. The third important geologic distinction of the property is the traprock or basalt ridge known as Todd's Hill that runs nearly half the length of the property and dominates its topography.

The rich geologic history and wide topographical variety have bred a remarkable floral diversity on the property. Contributing causes of this diversity include varying exposures to sunlight, the presence of standing water and a long and varied history of human use. The nine vegetation zones are phragmites, wetlands border, early old field succession, old field/deciduous woodland mixture, present fields, midslope deciduous woodland, planted coniferous woodland, upland oak woodland, moist deciduous lowland, Norway spruce and water. Each vegetation zone harbors plants adapted to its particular conditions and contributes to the wide floral diversity of the Hammer Woodlands.

The property contains three ponds that were formed by constructing dams and dikes from a stream that passed through the site. Water input for the ponds comes from the meadows west of the ponds, the west side of Todd's Hill and from intermittent stream flow from the north after heavy rains. Inflow to the ponds is limited by the relatively small size of the adjoining watershed. Two ponds drain into the Gurd's Pond, the largest of the three. This pond drains to the southeast over a dam.

Ice was harvested from the ponds years ago. Today, stone walls of a large ice-house can be seen below the dam at Gurd's Pond.

The ponds are currently undergoing a natural process of aquatic succession. Freshwater algae, duckweed and several rooted aquatic plants can be seen along the edges of all three ponds. The natural processes were accelerated by potato farming on the fields to the northwest many years ago and presently by stabling and grazing horses.

The diversity of plant communities, variety of topographical features and the existence of ponds and streams make the Hammer Woodlands an ideal area for nature study, walking, photography and even pond fishing. A barred owl lived on the property many years. Unusual species of birds are often seen on the property. Winter snows reveal a variety of animal tracks in the woods.

A system of walking trails crisscrosses the woods, circles the ponds and leads to the top of Todd's Hill, which overlooks Branford's church steeples and the dome atop the Blackstone Memorial Library.

Lucy Hammer loved to watch people enjoy the property. The Land Trust held skating parties in years when ice conditions permitted. Skaters skimmed across the ice, and hot chocolate was served: a true Currier and Ives setting. Lucy never failed to come to pondside to enjoy the refreshments and watch the skaters. She also kept her bird feeders filled with a variety of foods that would attract many species of birds. The counters in the Christmas Bird Count always stopped at Lucy Hammer's place to inventory the birds and to receive Lucy's accurate reports on sightings.

Though she enjoyed the sight of people on the property she gave to the Land Trust, she also enjoyed being there alone. On a walkway between Gurd's Pond and the North Pond, there was a small seat. From it Lucy Hammer could observe the abundant wildlife in and around the ponds all by herself.