By Sarah Opdahl

Great Hollow Nature Preserve and Ecological Research Center (Great Hollow), at Route 37 and Haviland Hollow Road/Route 68, is a remarkable treasure for the local area. The preserve has an altruistic mission focused on biodiversity conservation and applied ecological research, along with the intent to offer experiential education and passive recreation. Astonishingly, the property is at once a favorite among nearby residents while also remaining completely unknown to many others. For those in the know, the 825-acre property is teeming with varied wildlife, eager staff, and happy visitors. Others, who are new to Great Hollow, would find a wealth of reasons to visit this rich resource in the future: come for live music, sign up for a foraging event, hike the lovely trails to the falls, and more.

The heartbeat of Great Hollow is the ongoing research. Executive Director Chad Seewagen is tremendously proud of the effort that has gone into making the property a highly regarded research institution. He’s excited about “the future of our research program, we are getting a lot of respect from state agencies and universities. We are increasingly collaborating with people at these universities.” He continues to be enthused by the “caliber of candidates we are getting here for internships and postdoctoral fellowships,” programs which have increasingly gained traction over the past few years. A win-win for the researchers and the property, these roles are both lifts for resumes and gifts to Great Hollow. Their research into a multitude of areas, such as managing habitats for the New England Cottontail rabbit in collaboration with Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, have proved to be extremely valuable in understanding local animal populations.

Seewagen explained that there is continual innovation in research occurring on the property. For example, “we are putting up a purple martin colony of gore shaped nesting boxes” which were attained through a  grant. He said, “there is a population of purple martins at Deer Pond Farm in Sherman, so we think there is a very good chance that we can help expand that population if we provide nesting sites here. Some of the birds get banded each year, so we might even be able to tell if they are the offspring of those birds that are coming here.” He is excited to welcome Great Hollow’s new postdoctoral fellow, Griffin Nicholson, who is the first herpetologist to join the staff. Each summer two college students studying some form of conservation biology serve as interns at the property. They will complete field work, collect data for projects, spend time on land management and maintenance, help run activities for children at Great Hollow’s bustling summer camp, take care of the onsite non-releasable birds of prey, and more. Mentoring the interns and fellows is a favorite aspect of his job, Seewagen shared, saying, “probably one of the most rewarding things we do here is training the next generation.”

Looking to the future, Seewagen noted, “For 10 years, we have been learning about the property and the condition of the habitat and the wildlife communities,” and Great Hollow may be ready to implement some changes, including portions of a forest management plan that was prepared by a professional forester a couple of years ago. He shared that these recommendations would “promote forest health and habitat quality for wildlife.” At this important milestone they are also planning to freshen up the logo, website, and signage, including the entrance sign.

A non-profit, Great Hollow receives no operations funding from the town or the state and is solely funded by program revenue, grants, donations, and memberships. Joining as a member has a variety of benefits, including knowing that the funds are helping the preserve to offer environmental education and conservation science programs, to provide paid internships and grant opportunities for students, to maintain the preserve’s hiking trails and facilities, to manage 825 acres of habitat for wildlife, and to host a wide variety of events for the public throughout the year. In addition, members receive discounts for special events and summer camp registration. The public is able to utilize the property for free and a great way to give back is to become a member.

Events for the public are offered more frequently in warmer weather, though summer is all about the children’s camp which is a unique and wonderful experience. The eco-discovery camp is intended for kids aged 6 to 12 and is described as providing “opportunities to forge lasting connections with the natural world.” The summer camp at Great Hollow is robust and Seewagen explained, “What sets us apart from other nature camps is our approach to exploring science and nature through hands-on activities in a structured setting. Our days are divided into predictable schedules which allows kids to easily transition from one activity to the next. We also build in time throughout the day for self-directed play across all age groups.” For those interested in registering, some camp weeks are already full, but there are a handful of spots still open for this summer.

Philanthropic donations, plus membership and program registration can be completed at Greathollow.org. Additional cool opportunities abound, such as activities for local scouts, a photographers club, bird of prey adoption, the ability to hold a birthday party, and, of course, the option to take lovely hikes—remember to leave no trace of your presence and clean up after your pets! And, if you are interested in volunteering with day-to-day operations, feel free to contact Seewagen at cseewagen@greathollow.org. Visit Great Hollow’s website to sign up for their newsletter, read about all of the fascinating research in their annual report, register for camp and other programs, and discover all of the ways to get involved—there’s no better time than in this milestone year.