Berglund & Lesster Preserves
photo by Christine Kraft
About
The North Sea area of Southampton is a nature lover's paradise, with over 1,000 acres in preservation, including trails along the Paumanok Path. Hikers and paddlers have miles of terrain to explore, including two Trust nature preserves: Berglund and Lesster.
The 40+ acre Berglund Preserve along West Neck Creek was donated to the Trust in 1993 by Nils Berglund. As often happens, the estate tax burden on the property was significant and the family was concerned that the woodlands and wetlands that provided important habitat for wildlife would be lost.
Donating the land to the Trust helped with both the future estate tax issues as well as protecting the land from residential development forever.
A few years later, the Trust purchased the adjacent five acres from Elizabeth Lesster through a bargain sale at a nominal value. Mrs. Lesster also wanted to see her property conserved along with the bountiful woodlands and wetlands along Little Sebonac Creek.
In 2012, the family of Logan James Kirby donated a bench within the preserve in his memory -- as a place to sit quietly and enjoy nature.
The woodland and wetland preserve areas abound with flora and fauna, including native grasses such as smooth (Spartina alerniflora) and saltmeadow (Spartina patens) cordgrasses, a variety of flowers (Swamp azealea, Marsh mallow, and seaside goldenrod) and forest trees, predominately American beech, although there are some pitch pines as well. The preserve is also a haven for many species of owl including Great Horned, Barn, and Eastern Screech — along with a wide variety of other birds, mammals and reptiles.
The preserve can be accessed through the hiking trails within the Town’s Wolf Swamp Sanctuary, just to the north of the Paumanok Path trails — and you can get a great waterside view into the preserve by kayaking or canoeing West Neck Creek (added treat: it leads into Scallop Pond).
The Berglund Preserve was used by local hunters long before it was donated to the Trust. In keeping with this tradition, it is leased to the North Sea Gun Club and the Island Creek Hunting Club in the fall and winter as part of the Trust’s Wildlife Management Program.
Berglund & Lesster Preserves
Scotts Rd, Southampton, NY 11968
Things To Do
Hiking
Birdwatching
Photography
Nature Study
Paddling
