Haskins Preserve is an astonishing site on Green Acre Lane (off South Compo Road) administered by Aspetuck Land Trust. Its 16 acres are filled with woods, meadows, ponds, dams, and a spectacular assortment of rare trees.
Many Westporters have never heard of it. Those who have, treasure it as an oasis of beauty and solitude.
Most do, anyway.
Dog waste is a mounting problem at the Haskins Preserve. And it’s not just droppings on trails and paths. Some owners actually take the time to wrap waste in plastic bags — then leave them lying around.
Some sleazeballs “hide” the poop behind rocks and trees. Others are more brazen. They dump the dumps within sight of a sign saying, “Please remove dog waste.”
Steward Jamie Walsh has posted a video documenting this spectacularly rude and seriously obnoxious behavior.
Why don’t the stewards just put garbage cans at Haskins Preserve?
“We’re a volunteer organization, with a limited budget and resources,” Jamie explains. “It’s not practical for someone to empty them on a regular basis.
“And it would attract wildlife that would feast on the remaining garbage, which would then be strewn all over the parking lot.”
Haskins is a preserve — not a park. Is it too much to ask that if you bring your dog with you, then you take your dog’s business out?
For some Westporters, the answer is apparently: yes.
Haskins Preserve: no place for dog poop.