Hikers Explore Preserves on Pine Brook

On Saturday July 6th Al Petell (right with hat), a DEEP Master Wildlife Conservationist, and Steve Gephard (left in shorts), a fisheries biologist with the CT DEEP, led a hike at the Pine Brook Falls Preserve on Sexton Hill Rd. in East Hampton. Petell described the wildlife of the area and Gephard discussed the fish that inhabited the brook. Steve also explained the construction of the dam and mill. The group then drove down Rt. 151 to Pine Brook Rd. in Haddam Neck and explored The Pine Brook Preserve owned by the Haddam Land Trust (HLT). Peter Smith, a member of the HLT, gave the group a tour of two abandoned dams and mill sites. He said that there were many other mills that were powered by Pine Brook during the 1800s. Some of them were saw mills, a sword and later scythe factory, a cotton duck mill, three oakum mills and a paper mill. Peter reminded the hikers that the preserve is open to the public.

The hike was part of the “Explore East Hampton” monthly series program that is organized by the Chatham Historical Society and sponsored by the East Hampton Parks & Recreation Dept. The next hike will explore the Cobalt mine and Civilian Conservation Corps camp on Gadpouch Rd. in Cobalt on Sunday, August 4th at 10 am.