The Monroe Sun by Bill Bittar
MONROE, CT — A gap in a stonewall along 35 Old Newtown Road opens up to 65-acres of farmland that has been in the Benedict family for over 100 years. Rebecca Benedict Bottomley, who now lives in Massachusetts, remembers training and riding horses, and playing on the property with her brothers as children, roaming in the fields, and sledding down a steep hill in the wintertime.
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that his administration is awarding $14.5 million in state grants to aid in the purchase and protection of more than 2,626 acres of open space through 17 projects in 18 municipalities across Connecticut. Additionally, $343,015 in state grants are being awarded to create two new urban community green spaces in Stratford and Thomaston.
These funds are being provided through the state’s Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program and the Urban Green and Community Gardens Grant Program, both of which are administered by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). They mark the largest round of open space protection awards – both by acreage protected and by dollars awarded – in more than a decade.
Aspetuck Land Trust 's socially distanced native plant sale at Gilbertie’s Farm in Easton was a big hit. Nearly 200 people purchased 700 native plants, shrubs and trees, creating " a great opportunity to get people excited about native plants that they can plant in their own yards that help us to promote biodiversity in the landscape..." as Executive Director, David Brant noted.
Aspetuck Land Trust announced on Thursday, April 30, 2020, the acquisition of Gilbertie’s Farm, a picturesque 34-acre working organic farm adjacent to the land trust’s Randall’s Farm Preserve on Sport Hill Road in Easton. Sal Gilbertie will continue to farm the land and will lease the property from ALT.
After discussions with Weston officials, Aspetuck Land Trust is reopening Trout Brook Valley’s largest parking lot — the one on Bradley Road. It will be available starting tomorrow (Monday, April 27), on weekdays only. NOTE: Dogs are not allowed!
Click here for information on all 42 ATL preserves’, and their hiking trails.
PUBLISHED ON April 22, 2020 by Ted Craft from Weston Today
Access to Trout Brook Valley parking reopens today on a trial basis. The Bradley Road lot was closed on April 19 after overflow parking continued to block the ability of emergency response vehicles to reach homes on the road.
In an April 22 interview, Weston Police sergeant Joe Miceli, the Town's director of emergency management, said the Bradley Road entrance will be open Mondays through Fridays, but warned that a repeat of parking problems could cause the lot to be closed again.
According to Sgt. Miceli, police attempted to prevent the closure by posting no-parking signs end-to-end on both sides of the road, placed cones and barricades, issued tickets to "numerous offenders," increased police presence to turn away visitors when the lot was full, and warned motorists by loudspeaker.
Sgt. Miceli said people continued to park illegally, effectively narrowing the road so much that fire trucks and ambulances would not be able to reach residents in an emergency. He added that some violators removed the no-parking signs, safety cones, and barricades.
The police, said Sgt. Miceli, have "insufficient manpower" to cover Bradley Road full time, as several officers are out, having tested positive for COVID-19. He said the police did not tow vehicles, a measure that further consumes manpower, possibly strands visitors, and could result in "face-to-face interactions with violators, potentially exposing officers and the public."
Technically, Trout Brook was not completely closed, as parking remained available in Easton. But, several weeks ago, the Aspetuck Land Trust expressed concern about a surge of traffic and suggested visiting other, less crowded, sites it manages.
One option still off the table is Devil's Den, which was closed by The Nature Conservancy on March 23.
Parking and emergency access were factors in the Conservancy's decision to close, but a dominant concern was an increased number of visitors not following the preserve’s rules, not practicing social distancing, and staying on trails after sunset. This, said the officials, raised the potential of visitors getting lost or injured and requiring rescue.
PUBLISHED ON March 23, 2020 from Weston Today
Aspetuck Land Trust urges visitors to Trout Brook to leave dogs at home, practice social distancing, and consider visiting other preserves managed by the Trust.
While leashed dogs are normally allowed at Trout Brook, for the time being, ALT asks that you leave them home.
Trout Brook is receiving a volume of visitors much larger than usual. The concern is that dogs create opportunities for close human contact and that having too many of them on the site stresses flora and fauna.
The Trust also emphasizes that, even outdoors, you need to stay at least six feet away from other people, and not be in a group of more than ten.
Aspetuck Land Trust has many open space areas, and encourages you to spread out and visit other locations. A helpful guide to properties other than Trout Brook can be found on the Trust's website.
The full version of guidance for Trout Brook Valley can be found here.
Hartford, CT — State Senator Tony Hwang today applauded the State Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) in awarding bond allocation funds to support the regional open space preservation organizations to acquire and preserve two parcels of land in Weston and throughout Connecticut. These grants are made through the state’s Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Program.
Aspetuck Land Trust celebrates the planting of its first Demonstration Garden, a garden filled with native plants that will inspire the community and homeowners to rethink lawns. This garden will be an example of how landowners can take care of their yards in a more sustainable, pollinator-friendly way. It will create a non-toxic space for children and pets, and the native plants will increase the variety of native birds and wildlife that are attracted. This is a community effort and has been created with the support of the Westport Women’s Club 2019 Ruegg Grant and Earthplace in Westport.
The public is very aware that we are in the midst of a pollination crisis. In fact, concern about bees and other pollinators is nearly unanimous in public polling.
At a time when we are polarized on most issues, the need to do something about bees is something we can all agree on. Unfortunately, when people fret about bees and the threats they face, most are thinking about strictly about honey bees.
