Greenwich Land Trust (GLT) has been awarded a $278,314 grant from the Long Island Sound Futures Fund to support the restoration of vital island habitat at Shell Island Preserve.
Photo: Michael Stempien of Greenwich Drone.
Shell Island Preserve is a 5.23-acre island located just offshore in Captain Harbor, Greenwich.
This landmark grant reflects a strong partnership among federal, multistate, and local agencies and will fund a comprehensive, multi-year ecological restoration project on GLT’s only island preserve.
Established in 2005 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Long Island Sound Office in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the Long Island Sound Futures Fund supports community-based projects that protect and restore the Long Island Sound.
Since its inception, the program has reduced more than 130,000 pounds of nitrogen pollution, restored 862 acres of habitat, treated 212 million gallons of stormwater runoff, and engaged more than 5 million people in conservation efforts across the watershed.
Shell Island Preserve is a 5.23-acre island located just offshore in Captain Harbor, Greenwich.
Once a private summer retreat featuring gardens, cottages, and a historic stone tower, the island has been overtaken by invasive plant species that crowd out native vegetation and degrade habitat quality. Species including Tree-of-heaven (a host for the spotted lanternfly), wisteria, barberry, multiflora rose, honeysuckle, and phragmites now dominate much of the island, displacing native plants and threatening wildlife such as osprey, snowy egret, great egret, little blue heron, and yellow-crowned night-heron — all identified as Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Connecticut’s Wildlife Action Plan.
The Shell Island restoration project will address these challenges through targeted invasive species removal and the installation of native plant communities. Restoration efforts will focus on coastal island forest, coastal grassland, and dune habitats, improving ecological function and climate resilience while enhancing biodiversity. The project will also support critical nesting and foraging habitat for priority bird species, native pollinators, and other wildlife.
These efforts are supported by partnerships with SoundWaters, Belle Haven Yacht Club, and the Town of Greenwich, which are providing educational programming, transportation, and logistical assistance. SoundWaters will host public spring and fall sails aboard its 80-foot schooner, as well as educational high school trips aboard its research vessel, offering students and community members firsthand access to Shell Island and its restoration.
“At SoundWaters, we are thrilled to partner with GLT to create meaningful opportunities for students and the public to experience this unique site,” said Leigh Shemitz, President of SoundWaters. “Through public schooner sails and student research vessel visits, the community can learn about the restoration firsthand, right here in Long Island Sound.”
GLT is deeply grateful for their collaboration and shared commitment, which has brought this important conservation effort to life. The project is scheduled to begin in winter 2026 and is expected to take approximately three years to complete. Greenwich Land Trust invites the public to support the restoration of one of Long Island Sound’s most unique and ecologically significant coastal habitats.
For half a century, Greenwich Land Trust has been conserving open space, connecting our community with the natural world, and inspiring the next generation of conservationists. The Land Trust permanently protects and cares for more than 1,014 acres of woodlands, marshlands, orchards, and meadows throughout Greenwich, preserving the ecological integrity, historic character, and scenic beauty of our community.
Follow Greenwich Land Trust on Instagram @greenwichlandtrust for more information.