The Warren Land Trust is on its way towards the creation of a new nature trail open to the public, the seeds of which were planted from their acquisition of the 25-acre property now known as Sowams Meadow Preserve in 2020 from Westport resident, Karen Burnes.

The plot of open space – located to the west of Market Street across the street from the East Bay Educational Collaborative – has been the subject of cleanups and remediation (courtesy of Staton’s Landscaping) during the past couple of years, with native wild plant species that were seeded in the fall of 2022 now visible as you drive past the area.

According to Kate Pisano, who became the President of the Land Trust back in January, the plan had always been to eventually open the space up to the public via a walking trail that circumvented the upland fields and provided some views of the salt marsh that buffers Belcher Cove further to the west.

“This is our next step,” she said. “We’re just getting started. It’s going to be a couple years’ process. We’ll need some volunteer help when we get to the trail portion; it’s a big lift, but it’s a great opportunity for people to get involved, as well.”

Pisano said that fate was in their favor when they were approached by Andy Green, a local ambassador for the 11th Hour Racing Charitable Foundation – whose name you might recognize as the winning team of the 2023 Ocean Race, skippered by Bristol-born sailor, Charlie Enright.

“[Green] owns some property in town and works in town and was looking for a way to sponsor a project that fit the environmental focus of 11th Hour’s grant process, but also had an impact locally where he was feeling connected,” Pisano said. “He actually reached out to us. We were lucky in that way…It was perfect timing.”

The $30,000 grant they eventually received will go towards the hiring of an engineering firm to build a small parking lot off Market Street, across from the East Bay Educational Collaborative lot, which will require permitting from CRMC and RIDEM, as well as the Department of Transportation. Pisano said they were seeking bids for the work to begin.

Once that’s done, the focus will shift to the building of the walking trail, which will be around 0.75 miles in total length and provide views of the salt marsh along the Palmer River, where Save The Bay is currently busy installing runnels to improve the storm capacity and health of the marsh. The current hope is that the walking trail and parking lot could be done by some time in 2026.

Sowams Meadow Preserve is the most recent acquisition for the Warren Land Trust, and according to Pisano it contributed to what is now around 200 acres of preserved open space that is overseen by the Trust. This would be the third nature trail system under their purview, joining Jacob’s Point and the Haile Farm Preserve.

For Pisano, the symbiosis of protecting space, improving its environmental efficiency, and opening it up to the public to enjoy and cherish is at the center of the mission for the Land Trust.

“For us, Warren is such a special area. We have the rivers kind of surrounding us, so we recognize how important it is to not only protect the environment, but also the people who live here,” she said. “We already see the impacts of climate change every time it rains with all the flooding that has been happening, especially in the last couple of years. We have been putting a really big focus on protecting these protective barriers, like salt marshes. If we can protect them, it will not only provide better habitat for animals but also protect our homes and businesses as well.”

“Opening it up, for us, it’s how you connect with people,” she continued. “It’s how people connect with nature, and it’s not only healthier for their mental and physical state, it also connects them to the bigger picture as well.”