News and Visitor Information at Deer Pond Farm
Deer Pond Farm Nature Preserve, Photo by Cathy Hagadorn
Deer Pond Farm covers 850 acres of rugged hardwood forest, meadows, and wetlands straddling the border of Connecticut and New York.
Situated between elevations of 900 and 1200 feet, there are many vistas to enjoy along the trails.
About 650 of its 850 acres are upland forest; 125 acres are forested wetlands; and 59 acres are meadow.
Deer Pond Farm includes a network of 15 miles of trails. The sanctuary is open year-round, seven days a week, from dawn to dusk. All trails are accessible from the visitor parking lot at 57 Wakeman Hill Road, Sherman, CT.
Over 150 species of birds have been documented here, including forest birds such as, Broad-winged Hawk, Scarlet Tanager, and Pileated Woodpecker as well as early successional specialists such as, American Woodcock, Eastern Towhee, and Chestnut-sided Warbler. There are two eBird hotspot locations: Deer Pond Farm (CT Audubon) and Deer Pond Farm, CT Audubon (Dutchess Co.). Thank you for reporting your bird observations.
Mammals include bobcat, coyote, several bat species, fisher and long-tailed weasel, beaver, black bear and, of course, deer.
Numerous amphibian species breed in its 11 vernal pools, including Wood Frog, Spring Peepers, and Spotted Salamanders. To date, two turtle and four snake species have been confirmed.
Directions – click here.
Deer Pond Farm Trail Map – click here.
Deer Pond Farm Suggested Hikes – click here.
Injured, “Abandoned” or “Orphaned” Wildlife – click here.
Please note: dogs, horses, fishing, swimming, camping, fires, hunting and collecting are not permitted.
Thank you for staying on the trails.
Deer Pond Farm Staff:
Cathy Hagadorn, Director (chagadorn@ctaudubon.org)
Lori Lichtenauer, Sanctuary Manager / Naturalist (llichtenauer@ctaudubon.org)
Birds You Can See at Deer Pond Farm
Field Sparrow by Sharon Cuartero
Click on each month to view bird list:
Videos
Visit our YouTube channel, CTAudubonSociety to view videos from Deer Pond Farm and other centers.
2023 Year in Review
Interested in what has been going on at Deer Pond Farm lately? Read on for updates from the sanctuary!
2023 In Review:
- 950 volunteer hours: trail monitors, program leaders, habitat helpers, pollinator garden, tabling events & promotions!
Eastern Bluebird in Nest, Photo by Kyle Paist
- Programs and Events:
- 42 guided programs with 329 attendees
- 18 events with 506 attendees
- Nest Boxes:
- Purple Martins (PUMAs): No nesting in 2023. Birds previously hatched here were recaptured in Kent, CT at Marvelwood School. One of our tagged birds was also observed here on gourds!
- 30 Eastern Bluebirds fledged from the 11 bluebird boxes located throughout the sanctuary. Additionally, 13 Tree Swallow fledged from the bluebird boxes.
- 3 Wood Duck boxes still in place (to be checked in winter).
- American Kestrel box still in place
- Pollinator Garden: With an abundance of rain, the pollinator garden helped support local wildlife by providing food and shelter for many pollinators and other birds and insects. Many plants were thriving with the rain, and we saw our native plants spread out. We were able to gather seeds for other areas of the sanctuary.
- Food Plots: 40 lbs. of sorghum and millet were planted along with 2 lbs. of wildflowers (zinnias, cosmos and partridge pea) in 3 food plots.
- New Trail Connector: 0.75 miles added to Carolyn’s Trail to connect a loop to Greenwoods Trail in NY. Extensive trail maintenance and improvements made by contractors, volunteers, and staff. Trails were levelled, drainage issues were addressed, and overall conditions improved for a better visitor experience.
- Forest Management: Active forestry practices on the NY side included competing vegetation control, heavy seed tree cut and brush pile creation at 5 project areas totaling 6.55 acres. Funded by a Matching Grant from the state of NY Forestry Division.
- Cathedral Trail Beaver Flooding: Increased beaver activity at the southern end of sanctuary has led to flooding of wetlands near Cathedral Trail. Increased sighting of Wood ducks.
- Invasive Plant Management: Specialized and permitted contractors helped to continue the fight of Phragmites (Common Reed), Barberry, Locust, and Stiltgrass. Volunteers and staff tackled Garlic Mustard and Mugwort. Grounds crew worked on Oriental Bittersweet Vines and Canada Thistle.
Check out our 2022 year in review here.
