A scion of former G. Fox Co. department store co-founder Beatrice Fox Auerbach donated 40 Bloomfield acres to the state to preserve as public open space, authorities say.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said Tuesday the state Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) will oversee the Auerfarm State Park Scenic Reserve on Cider Hill Road, off of Auer Farm Road.
Elizabeth Schiro, managing member of Apple Orchard LLC and Auerbach’s granddaughter, donated the land, officials said. The property will be preserved with the Auerfarm name in memory of Elizabeth’s parents Dorothy, daughter of Beatrice Fox Auerbach, and Bernard Schiro.
The reserve includes grasslands, historic apple orchards, and woodlands habitat for a variety of wildlife, including migrating and nesting songbirds, raptors and owls, foxes, deer, and several species of reptiles and insects. Nearby are the Talcott Mountain and Penwood State Parks, and the Metacomet Ridge.