On December 22, 2020, Cheryl Cummer gifted a 24.5-acre parcel on Nichols Hill Road in Springfield to Ausbon Sargent. The property, named the “Christopher Cummer Preserve” is named after Cheryl’s brother, and is the third property Cheryl has been involved in protecting within the town of Springfield.
This property lies adjacent to the Cummer/Lyle Conservation Easements on Nichols Hill Road, which were protected in December of 2014. Long-time supporters of conservation, Cheryl and her late husband, Jack Lyle, also protected their family homestead in Mandarin, Florida on the St. Johns River through a conservation easement.
The Christopher Cummer Preserve is the 11th property that Ausbon Sargent owns. It is highly ranked for wildlife habitat in the 2015 Wildlife Action Plan, is forested and steep, and is within the Quabbin-to-Cardigan corridor. The Preserve lies within the Sawyer Brook watershed, and so the protection of it helps protect the water quality in the area, which benefits many.
We are thankful that land preservation is important to Cheryl, and we are thrilled to have been able to complete another conservation project with her. Through Cheryl’s forward-thinking and appreciation of the rural nature of the land, she has left a lasting legacy for future generations to enjoy. While the property has no trails, it is open to the public for low-impact recreation.
