The Grass Island Preserve is one of the oldest Stamford Land Conservation Trust holdings. It is also one of the least visited — not surprising since it is located in the middle of Stamford Harbor.

 

Grass Island is approximately 300 feet long and 125 feet wide at its widest point. The highest point on the island is about 3 feet above high tide and, true to its name, a portion of the island is covered with salt-tolerant grasses, with the remainder being naked rock and sandy beach.

 

Despite being in the middle of a busy harbor, the island provides valuable habitat for a wide variety of avian life, including ground-nesting birds that benefit from its isolation. In addition, the shallows around the island host a variety of marine life. The island can be spotted from Kosciuszko Park and the Shippan Public Beach, but the best way to see it is from a boat, or by renting paddleboards from SoundWaters at John Boccuzzi Park.

 

The Preserve was donated to the Land Trust in 1972 by George D. and John C. Wrightson, who had owned it since 1945. Thanks to their generosity, the boating community of Stamford, shoreline birds and other wildlife can enjoy Grass Island in perpetuity.