Pootatuck Meadows
Pootatuck Meadows is located at 6 Commerce Road and encompasses 37.45 acres including two large meadows with trails surrounded by wooded areas. The parcel is part of a larger swath of bird habitat from High Meadow, stretching across Wasserman Way through Governor’s Field and fields owned by the state and town along Deep Brook and up to Queen Street.
Grasslands and Meadows are among the most threatened and rare habitats in Connecticut. These increasing pressures are taking a toll on grassland birds and other wildlife species that depend on this habitat. Habitat loss and degradation due to land development and wetland destruction are responsible for bird deaths and cause lasting changes to bird habitat. Scientists have identified that habitat loss is the biggest overall driver of bird declines, according to the American Bird Conservancy.
In addition to grassland birds, many butterflies, snakes, and turtles also rely on these open fields for parts of their life cycle. There are also native wildflowers of open areas that are becoming increasingly rare. Pollinator populations including bees, butterflies, and other pollinator species are in significant decline.
Of equal importance is that the Pootatuck Meadows parcel sits atop an important aquifer recharge and protection area for the town of Newtown. It also borders the Deep Brook Wild Trout Management Area (WTMA). One of just a few Class 1 trout streams in Connecticut, Deep Brook has been the focus of long-term restoration efforts to remediate pollution, erosion, and the decline in native brook trout populations.