Mount Archer Woods, a Town-owned preserve, has been recognized by Audubon’s “Bird-Friendly Maple Program” for its management of a 35-acre sugarbush – a forest area where maple syrup is produced – that is leased for tapping by Fat Stone Farm. Mt Archer Woods is a 275-acre preserve that is part of a larger block of about 2000 acres of preserved property including the River-to Ridges-Preserves, owned by the Lyme Land Trust, Town of Lyme and The Nature Conservancy, and conservation easements on adjacent private properties.

Through the Bird-Friendly Maple project (a collaborative effort between Audubon, Cornell, the New York State Maple Producers Association, and the Maple Syrup Producers Association of Connecticut), the Mount Archer Woods sugarbush is managed in ways that provide more resilient bird habitat. An Audubon bird habitat assessment and recommendations for future management are provided for each property in the program.

Fat Stone Farm has been collecting organic sap from the maple trees on an approximately 32-acre area in Mt Archer Woods for ten years through a lease agreement with the Town of Lyme. Fat Stone Farm is located in Lyme, a short distance (as the crow flies) from the Preserve. Their syrup is available in local stores, at farmers markets, and online.

“We take great pride in the recognition by Audubon’s Bird-Friendly Maple Program of the sugarbush area at Mount Archer Woods,” said Lyme Open Space Coordinator Wendolyn Hill. “It is wonderful that, in addition to supporting the traditional practice of maple-sap collection, this forest provides essential habitat for some of our most threatened songbirds. The recommendations of the Audubon bird habitat assessment will be an invaluable guide for us in our efforts to protect and enhance the habitat there.”

To celebrate the recognition, Hill announced that Audubon forester Rosa Goldman will lead a special tour through the sugarbush area of the preserve on Sunday, May 24, 2025 at 9:30 am, that highlights the Audubon program and the songbirds it supports.

To read the full press release from Audubon Connecticut, click on this link.

For details on the tour, including how to register, click on this link.