Violets,
Marsh Marigolds & Fiddleheads
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Wednesday, May 7th, at 10:00 AM, members of the Trails Committee will
offer a second outing in this area.
At 1:00 PM on Sunday May 4th, the Madison Land Conservation Trust will offer a guided hike along the northern parcel of the Neck River Uplands Preserve. Hikers will utilize new stream crossings put in place by Eric Anderson and his fellow Scouts in Troop 1. Eric will accompany the group for the hike.
Wetlands along the Neck River provide perfect habitat for wildflowers. Bird activity will be high, so binoculars may come in handy. The trails of this preserve explore upland plateaus and lowland tributaries of the Neck River. While the terrain is varied, the trail is very manageable.
To get there, travel north on Route 79 to the circle with Route 80. After the circle, continue north, and at the top of the hill, take the first left turn onto Princess Dr. The trailhead is about ¼ mile in on the left.
Sprouting
ferns produce fiddleheads in the lowlands of the Neck River Uplands Preserve.
Family
Hikes and Comfortable Pacers
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Please check back soon for updates!
Past
Events
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Frogs,
Salamanders, and More
Sunday, April 6, 2008
On Wednesday, April 9th, at 10:00 AM, members of the Trails Committee
will offer a second outing in this area.
At 1:00 PM on Sunday April 6th, the Madison Land Conservation Trust will offer a guided hike to vernal pools along the Blinnshed Loop trail. David Skelly, Ph.D. in the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, will help participants identify species that utilize these habitats.
Vernal pools are small bodies of fresh standing water that develop in Spring. They have no in-flowing or outgoing water source, but result from snowmelt, rain, and elevated water tables. Because they're dry most of the year, they do not support fish, thereby providing safe areas for the breeding of salamanders, frogs, toads, and fairy shrimp. David will identify the eggs and other aspects of breeding cycles that occur in these micro-habitats.
To get there from Rte 79, turn west on Warpas Road, just north of the blinking light at the intersection with Horsepond Road. Take the second right onto Winterhill Road. At the end, turn right on Opening Hill Road, traveling north to the Country School. Parking is near the trailhead on Blinnshed Road. The hike will take about 1½ hours. Dogs must be on a leash. Heavy rain will cancel the hike.
Marbled
salamanders utilize vernal pools for breeding.
Will
the Groundhog Have a Shadow?
Sunday, February 3, 2008
At 1:00 PM the Madison Land Conservation Trust will guide those who want to look for groundhogs along the Indian Rock Shelters Trail. This trail provides an opportunity to see the modest beginnings of the Neck River. West of this watercourse, rock ledges contain shallow caves once used for winter shelter by members of the Hammonasset Tribe.
The terrain of this area is rocky and uneven, providing numerous hiding places for groundhogs and making it advisable that hikers wear sturdy boots and have hiking poles. The hike will last about 1½ hours. Dogs must be on a leash. To get there, participants should take Summer Hill Road, North of Route 80 to the second left, Twilight Drive. From Twilight Drive, turn left on Lake Drive and park at the cul-de-sac.
A
hiker looks down at the beginnings of the Neck River from an Indian Rock
Shelter.
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Madison
Land Conservation Trust Annual Meeting
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Memorial
Town Hall
Business meeting at 7:30 PM, Keynote Speaker at 8:00 PM
Gina McCarthy, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP)
Bunnel photo
- Gina
McCarthy, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP), will be joining us as our keynote speaker at our Annual
Meeting. Commissioner McCarthy’s most important environmental priorities
include continuing to improve the health of Long Island Sound and the
state’s air quality; reinvigorating the state park system; implementing
strategies and recommendations included in Connecticut’s innovative
Climate Change Action Plan; completing a new solid waste master plan;
and developing new strategies to protect the state’s natural resources.
Come and hear about Commissioner McCarthy’s four key initiatives:
"No Child Left Inside"
Pogo – "I have seen the enemy and it is I"
Landscape Stewardship
"Making Doing the Right Thing" the "Path of Least Resistance"
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Music,
Telescopes and the Autumn Moon
September
23, 2007
The Madison Land Conservation Trust will sponsor its 13th annual Autumn
Moonlight Walk on Sunday, September 23rd. This event is also sponsored
by the New Haven Astronomical Society and Madison’s Beach and Recreation
Department. As always, Durant McCurley will play the bagpipes for walkers.
The event will take place on the Garvan Trail at the Madison Surf Club.
Walkers should gather at Garvan Point at 6:45 PM, as the walk will begin
promptly at 7:00 PM. The trail is not difficult and families are encouraged
to participate. However, the trail is not suitable for strollers or joggers.
After the walk, refreshments will be served in the Surf Club building.
On
the deck of the building, members of the New Haven Astronomical Society
will set up telescopes for viewing the moon, planets, and stars in the
nighttime sky.
There is no fee for this event. Sturdy footwear is advised along with the usual precautions for ticks and mosquitoes. These include insect repellent and the wearing of long pants that can be tucked into socks. FLASHLIGHTS are a must for every walker. Should there be rain, the walk is cancelled.
Lenny
and Joe's Magical Carousel
August
9, 2007
Members of the Trust will have an information booth at Lenny and Joe's
Restaurant for the Magical Charity Carousel. Through the carousel, the
restaurant has raised over $300,000 for local charities. They have been
most generous over the years with a donation for having the Trust present
for this event. The new owners, Jim & Joe Schreck, have continued that
generosity. All proceeds from August 9th event will go to the MLCT. We
will be in our usual spot near the carousel (and ice cream). This has
become an annual ritual with the booth manned by Board members. So, please
stop by and enjoy a meal or snack and have the children ride the carousel.
Details: Noon to 8:00 PM, Lenny & Joe's Fish Tale, Madison/Clinton Line.
The
Magical Carousel
June
in the Neck River Uplands
Wednesday,
June 6th at 10:00 AM
The Madison Land Conservation Trust will lead the 4th in a series of hikes
in the Uplands, formerly known as the Traffic Circle Lands. Participants
will be guided through the Southern parcel. This trail offers the opportunity
to see a variety of natural communities during a relatively short hike.
Wildflowers will be in bloom, new growth of sedges will glisten in the
wetlands, and bird activity will be high. Binoculars may come in handy.
Hikers will follow the lovely old corridor of the early Toll Road, the
Fair Haven – Killingworth Turnpike, turn South through the Eastern highlands,
cross the Neck River, and complete a loop that includes an overlook along
the Western ridge. Throughout the parcel, numerous old stone walls, wagon
wheel rims, and other artifacts, testify to its earlier use for pasturing
livestock.
This will be a mid-week outing for adults. Sturdy footwear, water bottles,
and hiking poles are recommended. Tick precautions (insect repellent on
long pants tucked into socks) are also advised. Dogs must be on a leash.
The hike will last about an hour. Rain or high winds will cancel the hike.
To get there, turn onto Opening Hill Road from Route 79 immediately south
of the North Madison Traffic Circle for Routes 79 & 80. The trailhead
is on the right approximately 1 block from Route 79.
For information, call 203-421-3537 or 203-245-1896.
Neck River Uplands Stream in Spring
Cowslips,
also called 'Marsh Marigolds'
Fiddlehead
Fern
Green
Up Clean Up is Another Success
Saturday,
April 21, 2007
22 volunteers worked on and near various MLCT properties and trails: Terry
Kensler, Sandy Kensler, Pat Chmielewski, Lee Chmielewski, Fred Pechar,
Kathi Traugh, Mac Walker, Chris Wiebe, Joan McPherson, Fillmore McPherson,
Nora Dixon, Joan O'Neill, Ted O'Neill, Eileen Schiess, Sandy Bialos, Karen
Kumor, Dennis Noe, David Roach, Maira Mendoza, Barry Haigis, Kent Sprague,
and Joe Ortoleva.
The dumpsters got a workout. Our volunteers picked up and disposed of normal trash found on roadsides, at the Pines, near the Fence Creek area, along Warpas Road, and on the Garvin Trail at the Surf Club. They also hauled a water-logged chest type freezer out of a pond and took apart and hauled out a full size trampoline that had been discarded on MLCT property. They hoisted a rusted, water-filled 50 gallon propane tank and dismantled and hauled away a rogue dock and lumber from the Ox Pasture Preserve. In all, a full morning's work! We all had fun too. The traditional MLCT fish and ice cream "buffet" afterwards, at one of Madison's finest - Lenny and Joe's, provided a welcome respite for our volunteers after a hard day's work.
Some
of the crew
More
of the crew
Hauling
a chest freezer out of a pond
Groundhogs
Day Hike at the Neck River Uplands
Saturday,
February 4, 2007, 1:00 PM
On Sunday, Feb. 4th, at 1:00 PM, the Madison Land Conservation Trust will
guide those who want to look for Groundhogs through the Southern parcel
of the Neck River Uplands Preserve. This trail offers the opportunity
to see a variety of natural communities during a relatively short hike.
Hikers will follow the lovely old corridor of the early Toll Road, the
former Fair Haven – Killingworth Turnpike, turn South through the Eastern
highlands, cross the Neck River, and complete a loop that includes an
overlook along the Western ridge.
Throughout the parcel, numerous old stone walls and woods roads testify to its earlier use for pasturing livestock. Thickets of Mountain Laurel provide cover for birds and mammals. Groundhogs surely find den sites in numerous rocky outcrops and occasional forest openings.
Sturdy footwear, water bottles, and hiking poles are recommended. Tick precautions are also advised. Dogs must be on a leash. The hike will last about 1½ hours. To get there, turn on to Opening Hill Road from Route 79 immediately South of the North Madison Traffic Circle for Routes 79 & 80. The trailhead is on the right approximately 1 block from Route 79. For more information, call 203-421-3537.
