Walt’s Walls and Woods

Groton Open Space Association is pleased to announce the acquisition of Walt’s Walls and Woods, a 5.7-acre parcel located in the heart of downtown Groton, Connecticut, on July 30, 2021. Number 141 Drozdyk Drive on Google Maps will get you close. Park on the wide shoulder, or choose to arrive on foot, an easy walk from nearby shopping malls and apartments. GOSA plans to place a picnic table near the top of the ledge, and to restore a wooded path in the uplands at the back of the property.

Although the property is small, it will serve an important function protecting wetlands and a stream from storm water runoff. It will protect Baker Cove, an impaired waterway downstream, from new development impacts. The property extends existing protected open space by connecting to the Town-owned Ledges and Boulder Heights properties. Walt’s Walls and Woods provides a small forest, wetlands, exquisite stonewalls and gardens to a neighborhood green space for the residents and visitors of downtown Groton. Wetlands surround the property on three sides, and Town-owned open spaces cover two sides. A spectacular steep ravine, part of an ancient rift valley, is located nearby, separating the Ledges and Boulder Heights properties.

Walter Watrous spent many years constructing the exquisite stonewalls in front of the cliffside ledge, using a drystone technique, backfilling with crushed stone and providing room for the roots of the weeping cherry trees. Colorful creeping phlox, heathers, azaleas, rhododendrons and purple coneflowers extend the blooming season.

We hope you will enjoy this little green open space to rest and relax. The public is welcome to visit every day from sunrise to sunset.