The Land Trust acquired 63 wooded acres adjacent to its Logan Hill Nature Preserve in Candor, Tioga County. The property will be added to the existing preserve, expanding it to more than 340 acres.

The addition protects hilltop forest and includes the steep north and east-facing slopes above the village. The property contains mixed northern hardwoods including stands of oak, white pine, maple and hemlock, as well as many species of fungi.

Protection of these steep slopes will safeguard the water quality of Catatonk Creek, a tributary of the Susquehanna River, which borders the preserve. Additionally, protecting forested areas such as these is critical in the fight against climate change, as intact forests have the ability to sequester atmospheric carbon.

The Logan Hill Nature Preserve. Photo by Bill Hecht

Future plans for the site include extending the preserve’s 2.5-mile trail system onto the new addition by utilizing the remnants of existing logging paths. The trails at Logan Hill provide access to the varied landscape of the preserve including woodlands, meadows, and a series of vernal pools. Black bear, bobcat, coyote, fisher, and diverse communities of songbirds can be observed here.

The Logan Hill Nature Preserve was created after Betsy Darlington, a founding board member of the Land Trust, and her husband Dick, gave their property to the Land Trust. Wanting to ensure its permanent protection, they generously donated 285 acres to the Land Trust in February of 2015.