The Ifkovic property is a 12-15 acre parcel, primarily a beautiful wetland swamp and adjacent uplands through which Queach Brook runs, immediately southwest of where Queach Road crosses the brook. The property is bordered by private homes along Coachman Drive to the south, by private homes along Pasture Lane to the north, and the Supply Pond Park on the western border. Red maple and swamp maple dominate most of the wetland area, with grassy hummocks rising next to the slowly meandering brook. Queach Brook widens and gets surprisingly deep here. Wood ducks have nested in duck boxes along the stream. Very large snapping turtles have been seen also. In the winter, river otter, mink, coyote and fox tracks are frequently seen along with cottontail rabbit tracks. The southern side of the property, south of Queach Brook, rises gently to the higher land on which the Coachman Drive homes are built. Most of this land is still covered with hemlocks, some of which are still very healthy, and big hardwoods. Invasive vines, particularly kudzu along the border of the stream, are a problem on this part of the property. A large flat rock ("Indian Rock", according to the donor, Mr. Frank Ifkovic) is reported to be the grave marker for an Indian who was buried under or near it. The eastern border is close to the footpath bridge which goes over Queach Brook at the bottom of a steep ridge which, in turn, runs along the northern perimeter of the wetland. Again, the bottom of this ridge has some very large and very healthy hemlocks, along with white oaks. A combination of the cover from the hemlocks and the acorns from the white oaks, makes this a great bedding area for deer. Geology. Steep ridges, to the north and west of the property, pen in the wetlands. Bob Baker says that this geology may have created a lake thousands of years ago. This lake has gradually filled in as erosion of the surrounding ridges and accumulation of organic materials gradually created the swamp we see today. These ridges are made of easily erodable sedimentary rock (an interesting conglomerate) and thin soils. Highly inappropriate for development as the erosion further down the ridge shows around Pine Gutter Brook. Donor. The Land Trust was given this property by Mr. Frank Ifkovic, Jr. around 1985. Frank bought the property from his uncles, William and Joseph Johnson. Frank developed the Pasture Lane lots as well as the lots which currently abut the property along the west side of Queach Road (north of the brook). History. William and Joseph Johnson had received the property from their father, William Johnson, in the late 1950's after he died. This William Johnson was born in 1869 in Russia, as the son of a soldier in the Czar's Army. When William Johnson emigrated to America, he worked at a large truck farm which covered much of Branford Hills. After saving his money, he bought the current Johnson Farm at the end of Queach Road. There, he ran a big truck farm of his own, plowing with draft horses (remembers his grandson, Frank Ifkovic). The grandfather also had apple and peach orchards. The land on which most of the homes along Pasture Lane are built, used to be a peach orchard. Trails. Most of the property has no trails. The best way to see the property is to wait until the brook and swamp freezes solid. Written by Tom Cleveland, tract steward, November, 2002. "I was originally introduced to the Ifkovic property in 1994 by Bill Van Wie and have been the tract steward ever since. The proximity of the Ifkovic Property to the 200 acre Queach property proposed for a golf course and massive residential development in 1996 and 1997 caused me to get deeply involved in opposing that development.