The Coastal Nature Walk

The Coastal Nature Walk. and Viewing Pavilion on Clinton Harbor. , The Great Hammock Salt Marsh and Clinton Harbor , The Town of Clinton, originally a part of Killingworth, was settled in 1663 by families, many of whose descendants still live here. Those first settlers found much evidence of Native American tribes living in the area as their ancestors had when they moved up the Atlantic coast nearly 8000 years ago. , , In the 17th Century, before a town could be permanently established, there had to be an existing church with an "able and orthodox" minister. This condition was officially achieved in 1667. , , In 1669 Uncas, Sachem of the Mohegans, and Joshua, his son, deeded the land to its new inhabitants reserving the right to use ten acres on the Hammack River for hunting fishing and taking of trees for canoes and rushes to make mats. , , Salt hay was harvested in the marshes of the Great Hammock for general use as fodder and bedding for livestock, and winter insulation. At some time during the Colonial period, the acreage bordering the harbor to the east came under the ownership and jurisdiction of the Congregational Church. , , In 1976, the congregation and the Town of Clinton negotiated an exchange of properties that gave the church "Meeting House Hill," the land which is, in essence, its front yard. The Town received this waterfront parcel of almost 14 acres in return. , , In 1999, the Town of Clinton was awarded a grant from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection's Long Island Sound "Preserve The Sound" License Plate Program for the erection of a Viewing Pavilion and the development of a Coastal Nature Walk on Town land located adjacent to the Great Hammock Salt Marsh and Clinton Harbor. Consistent with the mission of "Preserve The Sound" program and the grant, these facilities seek to foster a greater appreciation of the natural resources unique to the Connecticut shoreline. This is an area abundant in wildlife. The coastal beaches and dunes, the intertidal flats and the tidal wetlands which surround the town beach property attract a variety of marine life and water fowl. The upland is inhabited by several species of birds, butterflies and mammals. In order to preserve our natural resources, we must have an appreciation for them. This project was undertaken in an effort to both enhance and protect this delicate ecosystem, as well as to allow visitors the opportunity to acquire a greater knowledge of it. Those of us who live in Clinton are proud of our environmental and cultural heritage. It is our hope that your visit to the Viewing Pavilion and Coastal Nature Walk on the Great Hammock Marsh and Clinton Harbor will be an enjoyable one and that you, too, will share stewardship of this land. , , James M. McCusker, Jr., First Selectman , Town of Clinton , May, 2002