Outer Island is a 5-acre island located in
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches from the Eas ...
. It is one of the
Thimble Islands, a small archipelago just south of
Stony Creek Stony Creek may refer to the following waterways or communities:
Waterways Australia
* Stony Creek, a tributary of the Allyn River, in the Hunter region of New South Wales
* Stony Creek, a tributary of the Brogo River, in the South Coast region o ...
, a hamlet of
Branford, Connecticut. Outer Island is the southern terminus and most remote island found within this archipelago. It is on the ten units of the
Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge
The Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge in ten units across the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in the Atlantic Flyway, the refuge spans of Connecticut coastline and provides important resting, feeding ...
. The island was transferred to the
United States Fish and Wildlife Service in 1995 by Elizabeth Hird. This island provides habitat for marine and avian wildlife.
It is maintained in a cooperative partnership with
Southern Connecticut State University and currently used
ecological laboratory and an outdoor natural classroom by school groups from the city of
New Haven.
Visitors are able to access Outer Island via a small public dock and beaching are on the leeward side of the island. There is a small interpretive center that is staffed by volunteers during the summer season. Student volunteers also work on improvement projects on the island in conjunction with th
Friends of Outer Islandorganization and the National Fish and Wildlife Service.
See also
*
Thimble Islands
*
Outer Lands
The Outer Lands is the prominent terminal moraine archipelagic region off the southern coast of New England in the United States. This eight-county region of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York, comprises the peninsula of Cape Cod an ...
References
*
Wealthy Widow Buying Up Thimbles', "New Haven Register", January 22, 2006, page A1
*
'; Stacey Stowe; "In the Region/Connecticut", ''
New York Times'', July 30, 2006; Real Estate page 10.
External links
Friends of Outer Island* Outer Island is at
{{Connecticut-geo-stub
Thimble Islands
Long Island Sound