MILTON, Del. - The Nature Conservancy recently purchased around 7.5 acres of property outside of Milton to expand Ponders Tract, a part of the Pemberton Forest Preserve, following a rumor of new houses being put on the land near their entrance. This purchase is the first purchase made by The Nature Conservancy in Delaware since 2004.
The creation of the Pemberton Forest Preserve started in 1999 when The Nature Conservancy purchased the 456 acre Pemberton Tract. Five years later, in 2004, an additional 908 acres known as the Ponders Tract was purchased. Both tracts were previously lands where logging operations took place.
The Pemberton Tract and its old logging roads are quickly returning to a native forest community and thus are not usable by the public. The Ponders Tract is still being carefully managed and restored by The Nature Conservancy. Old logging roads have been transformed into miles of trails for visitors to use to explore the crucial ecosystems of the preserve.
"These large protected forested areas are super important for migrating wildlife, specifically neo-tropical songbirds, as well as numerous other wildlife.”, Natasha Whetzel, The Nature Conservancy’s Delaware Stewardship Program Manager explained.
The Hessel’s hairstreak, an endangered butterfly, and the Delmarva fox squirrel can be found in these woods. Unfortunately ticks can also be found in high numbers throughout the preserve from spring until fall.
The 7.5 acres recently purchased is at the entrance to the preserve and is currently heavily forested. By purchasing this land, it will protect the entrance to the preserve from any future development that could impede easy access for continued restoration efforts.
This latest purchase by The Nature Conservancy is part of a string of purchases made by non-profits recently to protect the natural landscape of Sussex County. Some of the other recent purchases or future purchases include nearly 120 acres of land in Lewes by the Greater Lewes Foundation’s Open Space Alliance along with the Sussex County Land Trust, nearly 300 acres of land just south of Milton purchased by Sussex County and the Sussex County Land Trust, and 41 acres of land along the Nanticoke River in Laurel purchased by the Sussex County Land Trust.