EARTH DAY 2007 AT HIDDEN VALLEY

Saturday May 5th from 11 am to 3 pm.

Although we are halfway through the season, it is finally starting to look and feel like Spring, The New Fairfield Land Trust and the New Fairfield Dept. of Parks and Recreation are proud to sponsor our ninth Celebrate the Earth Day at the Hidden Valley Nature Center.

Bat Lady Geraldine Griswold of Winsted Ct will be heading up a chat about bats. Gerri Griswold is a state and federally licensed rehabilitator of sick and injured bats. She will be accompanied by a couple of her flying mammal friends and will teach us how amazing these animals are and the important role they play in our ecosystem.

Daniel Bogan from the New York Suburban Coyote Study will be on hand to tell us about the Eastern Coyote and its movement into sburban habitats.

Program leaders from Grassroots Environmental Education will bring us information on how to, and why we should kick the pesticide and chemical habits and treat our lawns the natural way.

Ethan Elgersma from the Great Hollow Wilderness School in New Fairfield will guide us on a walk and point out wild foods that can sustain us in the local forest

The Land Trust Directors will be there with environmental info on Backyard Habitats, Forest Stewardship, Land Conservation. The Event is rain, snow or shine as we have the canopy of the Pavilion. Park at the Meeting House School and come for a program or the day. See you there.

Bats in Connecticut 11:00 am
Gerri Griswold / a.k.a. The Bat Lady

Eastern Coyote 12:00 pm
Daniel Bogan / New York Suburban Coyote Study

Organic Lawn Care 1:00 pm
Patti Wood / Grassroots Environmental Education

Wild Edibles 2:00 pm
Ethan Elgersma/ Great Hollow Wilderness

Hidden Valley Nature Center
Approx. 14 Acres  

Hidden Valley Nature Center was created in 1960 by a handful of local residents. Situated in the middle of our school campus' it was in an ideal location to serve as both a sanctuary and an environmental education center. Frances Gillotti, on of the original founders became the Center's volunteer Director from 1960 to 1972. The town's Conservation Commission then took on the responsibility of operating the area and hiring Program Directors, which it continued through the 1980s. During the 1990s however the center fell on some hard times with budget cuts, vandalism, arson and damage from construction projects all taking their toll. Fortunately volunteer efforts from Boy Scout troop 137 and the Lion's Club helped to revive the Center. When the NFLT discovered that there did not exist any permanent protection, we pursued a conservation easement on the land. We also tried to enlarge the 12+ acres to include an additional 5 acres to the north, but were only successful in gaining 2 more of those acres. Today Hidden Valley Nature Center is the site of our annual Earth Day Celebration that we co-sponsor with Park & Rec. as well as other programs sponsored by both groups.

Hidden Valley Images

Conservation Easement from the Town of New Fairfield   11/29/2000

Eagle Scout Project at Hidden Valley Nature Center

It is an exciting time for New Fairfield's Hidden Valley Nature Center. There are numerous maintenance and improvement projects planned, with much of the work funded by a state STEAP grant awarded to New Fairfield specifically for improvements at Hidden Valley. The Town of New Fairfield and the New Fairfield Land Trust are happy for this opportunity to give some TLC to this wonderful nature preserve in the heart of New Fairfield. It is even more satisfying when a young member of the New Fairfield community gives of his own time and effort to make improvements for the benefit of the town. New Fairfield Boy Scout Troop 137 Scout, Tom Scanlon, has been involved with service projects at Hidden Valley in the past, and knew that there was a need for further improvements. Tom Scanlon approached the New Fairfield Land Trust, seeking an Eagle Project, a necessary step in earning the highest rank in Scouting, the Eagle Scout. Many New Fairfield residents may not be aware that there is a trail connecting Meeting house hill school to Hidden Valley, as well as a trail connecting the High school/Middle School/Community playground to Hidden Valley. The trail heads have been overgrown and not well marked, and so they have been underutilized. After reviewing possible projects with NFLT president, Bill McCann, Tom chose to create two map kiosks identifying the trailheads from the school grounds into Hidden Valley.

It was Tom's plan to build sturdy map kiosks, that would identify the trailheads and detail hiking trails at Hidden Valley. He obtained donations of materials from local businesses, including steel tubing, wood, and other building materials. The NFLT provided the map graphics and plexiglass fronts. The kiosks were installed with cement footings in late December and early January. (Thanks to a mild early winter) Tom was assisted in this project by his father, Don Scanlon, brothers Mike and Brian Scanlon, and friends Kevin McNally and Nick Kyriacou. The quality of workmanship and materials will ensure that these map kiosks welcome and inform visitors to Hidden Valley for many years. These map kiosks will also make Hidden Valley more visible and accessible to the community. In the Spring, after the soccer or lacrosse game, walk down past the swings, find Tom's map kiosk, and come explore Hidden Valley. You will be delighted to find that there is more to recreation in New Fairfield than sport's fields!

The New Fairfield Land Trust and the Town of New Fairfield thank Tom Scanlon for his contributions to Hidden Valley Nature Center, and congratulate him on a well planned and executed Eagle Scout Project.