Contact Us: 860-350-4148

Donate Now
Menu

dogandponydesign

About dogandponydesign

https://r6v.7b1.myftpupload.com

Posts by :

RiverRoad-square

River Road Preserve, Erbacher Preserve & Golden Harvest Preserve

River Road Preserve, Erbacher Preserve & Golden Harvest Preserve

River Road Preserve, Erbacher Preserve & Golden Harvest Preserve

River Road Preserve

Bordering the eastern bank of the Shepaug River, the River Road Preserve affords beautiful views of the river, farmlands and hemlock-covered knolls. The 1.5-mile loop trail starts at the parking lot and overlooks the pond and Pollinator Pathway garden. After circling the pond, the trail enters the woods. At the trail loop sign, bear right to hike first along the river. Please note that fly-fishing only is allowed in this section of the river. The south end of the preserve is the site of a picnic table, map kiosk and a bridge across the Shepaug River, which connects to Erbacher, Golden Harvest and Orzech Family Preserves. At this point, hikers have three choices: 1) retrace their steps for the easiest way back, 2) complete the loop, knowing that a steep climb and descent are ahead, or 3) cross the bridge and explore the other three preserves.

Frasier McCann gifted the 57-acre River Road Preserve to the Roxbury Land Trust in 1982.

Erbacher Preserve

There are several access points and distance opportunities available to hike the Erbacher Preserve. For a loop hike, cross Volunteers Bridge and turn left on the old Shepaug Railroad bed. About 0.4 miles ahead, the rail turns right and begins to climb to its highest point. Watch for signs where the trail turns sharply to the left and begins a gradual descent back down to the river. When you reach the large open meadow, you have two options: 1) finish the loop to the railroad bed and return to Volunteers Bridge, or 2) follow the signs along the edge of the meadow. The trail then leads to an historic stagecoach road and out to Minor Bridge Road.

Joan Erbacher McMahan and Edward Erbacher gifted 262 acres to establish this preserve in 1984. Lawrence Tuchman and John Lamb donated an additional 34 acres in 2003.

Golden Harvest Preserve

To access this preserve, turn right after crossing Volunteers Bridge and follow the railroad bed to the farm fields on the right. The preserve also lies along the Shepaug River to the left of Volunteers Bridge.

Golden Harvest Farm Ltd. Partnership gifted 100.5 acres to the Roxbury Land Trust in 1993 to create this preserve.

 

River Road Preserve, Erbacher Preserve & Golden Harvest Preserve
Hiking
Historic Site
Farm Fields
Cross Country Skiing
Fishing
Picnic Table
Bird Watching
Horses Allowed
Download PDF Map
Orzech-Family-Preserve

Orzech Family Preserve

Orzech Family Preserve

Orzech Family Preserve

A working farm with views and an historic railroad bed along the Shepaug River, the Orzech Preserve is excellent for gentle walks and cross-county skiing. From the parking area off Botsford Hill Road, enter the preserve around the blue gate leading to the railroad bed and the Kress Family Trail, which connects to the River Road, Golden Harvest and Erbacher Preserves. Please respect private property and use only marked parking areas.

Hikers may walk 2 miles along the Kress Family Trail along the Shepaug River. At approximately 0.25 mile in, a trail on the right sweeps up through the wooded hillside bringing hikers into the upper Orzech field with two ponds, a bench and sweeping views.

As part of the Roxbury Land Trust’s “Save Our Farms” campaign, the Orzech Preserve was acquired in 2002 from Edward F. Orzech and Elizabeth M. Orzech, whose family established their farm there in 1924.

Orzech Family Preserve
Hiking
Historic Site
Farm Fields
Cross Country Skiing
Fishing
Picnic Table
Bird Watching
Download PDF Map
hiking-blaze

The Greenbelt

The Greenbelt

The Greenbelt

The Greenbelt stretches along the eastern ridge of Roxbury from the Good Hill Farm Preserve to Painter Hill Road in Woodbury totaling 720 connected, permanently protected acres. Beginning at the trailhead at Good Hill Farm Preserve on Good Hill Road, the trails meander through an old orchard, across streams, into the woodlands and through open meadows with variable terrain.

The red farm loop, east of the barnyard, is an easy 1-mile loop with occasional hilly terrain. The blue trail of 3.31 miles goes from the Trailhead all the way to Painter Hill Road. Hikers can exit the blue trail on the old wood road onto Tophet Road near the Good Hill Schoolhouse, Widmark Preserve, and walk back to the Trailhead along Tophet Road, which provides sweeping views across active farm fields. Or hikers can follow the 0.81-mile white trail on the Miller Preserve back to Tophet Road. The red Painter Hill Loop of 0.88 miles covers uphill terrain with western views.

The Greenbelt
Hiking
Farm Fields
Bird Watching
Download PDF Map
hiking-blaze

Horrigan Family Preserve

Horrigan Family Preserve

Horrigan Family Preserve

A one-mile trail offers hikers views of large rock outcroppings and old-growth forests and is part of a series of trails that can be accessed via River Road that connect RLT’s River Road Preserve to its west Shepaug preserves (Orzech, Golden Harvest and Erbacher) across a pedestrian bridge over the Shepaug River. Richard Horrigan, Robert Horrigan and William Horrigan donated land in 2006 in memory of William Horrigan Jr. and Richard Tyler Horrigan.

Horrigan Family Preserve
Hiking
Katz Preserve

Roxbury Land Trust Receives 26-Acre Gift to Ring in the New Year

,

(ROXBURY, Connecticut) – The Roxbury Land Trust has received a donation of 26 acres of land at 203 North Street (Route 199) in Roxbury, it was announced here today. The donor, John Katz, gifted the parcel of land, naming it the Beth Rogers and Jeffrey Katz Preserve in honor of his parents, who are nature and conservation advocates.

The property, initially sold for development, was formerly part of the 132-acre Mundy property, which was subdivided into multiple parcels on both the west and east side of Route 199. The RLT Board of Directors unanimously voted in favor of this generous gift due to its strategic location and its significant conservation value.

“Preserving this property helps to protect a critical portion of the Battle Swamp Brook watershed, which is one of the most pristine water sources in the state,” said RLT President John Smoliga. Jamie Curren, RLT’s Land Manager, added, “The permanent protection of the property also helps protect a fragile wetland habitat.”

The new Beth Rogers and Jeffrey Katz Preserve offers important wetland, flora and wildlife habitats. A natural pond sits on the far northern and eastern portion of the parcel—home to several fish species. Vernal pools, essential for amphibian breeding, have been spotted in bedrock depressions on the property, and a healthy hemlock forest void of understory shrubs and invasives is in the Northwest corner of the property.

“This generous land donation was the perfect gift to ring in 2024 as the RLT gears up for a New Year of conserving open space, protecting our waterways, and offering recreation access for all,” noted Annette Bosley-Boyce, RLT’s Executive Director. “It was also an important “win” for Mother Nature in our regional efforts to provide a wilderness corridor, help combat climate change and reverse habitat and species loss.”

Established in 1970, the Roxbury Land Trust preserves roughly 3,800 acres of farmland, woodlands, watercourses, wetlands and open space in Roxbury and neighboring communities. The Roxbury Land Trust maintains 33 preserves with more than 30 miles of hiking trails and three active farms, while offering a wide range of educational programs. RLT, a 501(c)3 organization, relies on donations, grants, member support, and gifts of land to pursue its mission.

IMG_3835

The Roxbury Land Trust Revisits its Quartz Mining History

, , ,

The Roxbury Land Trust Revisits its Quartz Mining History

On Saturday, November 25th, Dr. John Smoliga, President of the Roxbury Land Trust, led a group of 30+ hikers to examine an old quart mining site at its historic Mine Hill Preserve. The annual post-Thanksgiving walk is held in memory of Dave Beglan, a former historian and director of the Roxbury Land Trust who was instrumental in preserving this property.

Dr. Smoliga, a geologist by trade, started the walk by showing several maps of the area illustrating Connecticut’s long and complex geological history. He explained that mineral deposits were formed in the area when tectonic plates under the earth’s surface collided.  These collisions produced volcanic activity, which resulted in the formation of the various mineral deposits found today at Mine Hill.

It is unknown as to when quartz mining started at Mine Hill.  However, during the late 1880’s, quartz obtained from Mine Hill was transported via the Shepaug railroad to a kiln at Roxbury Falls where it was processed into a fine powder to be used in glass making, abrasives, and as an additive in paints.

During the hike, John brought the group to a previous quartz mining site, explaining the difference between clear quartz, milky quartz, and smokey quartz. He then entertained questions about the furnace complex at the Mine Hill Preserve that still attracts visitors from all over to learn about the 19th century iron mining industry, which to this day, is noted for its critical role in the Industrial Revolution.

River view at 6mh

Mother Nature is a gift..

,

Mother Nature is a gift. This gift often goes unnoticed until we’re reminded of its subtle yet alluring presence—from a golden sunset that blankets a nearby pasture—to a resident Great Blue Heron that dips into the Shepaug River—to the bounty of colorful and delicious farm produce that graces our Thanksgiving table. These simple splendors are easy to forget in our fast-paced lives, but they exist in Roxbury all because our friends and neighbors, for the last 50+ years, shared a common vision—to preserve our forest, farmland and waterways (nearly 4,000 acres) in perpetuity for the purpose of promoting passive recreation, education and sustaining our cultural heritage and biodiversity.

This year at the Roxbury Land Trust, we held our second annual RiverFest event; offered, hiking, gardening, birding and other educational events (such as our popular owl banding demonstrations); and secured a notable Two for the Road grant to help us build another parking lot, which will connect several of our popular hiking trails along River Road.

Still, our work is far from over. While we continue to explore ways that we can protect more of Roxbury’s pristine forest and wetlands, we also need to focus on the sustainability and maintenance of our current preserved lands. This year, in particular, our town saw more erosion from severe rainstorms than it’s seen in the last 100 years, requiring our Trust to spend thousands of dollars to fix parking areas, hiking trails and drainage due to this unprecedented rainfall. Our treasured Orzech and Mine Hill Preserve trails were some of the worst to be hit, and yet, because of supporters like you, we were able to make the improvements necessary to keep our trails safe and secure.

During this Thanksgiving season, we want to extend our gratitude to the hundreds of friends and neighbors, just like you, who have made the preservation of land in Roxbury possible. By donating to the Roxbury Land Trust and becoming a member, you are committing to a legacy of land and wildlife conservation that can be enjoyed by all generations, and you ensure we do our part to support a ‘forever wild’ corridor in the Northeast as well as educational programming for learners of all ages.

Mother Nature, truly, is our most precious gift. In a world where so many often discard her, we are grateful that you choose to make her and her sustainability a priority.  Thank you in advance for your support. Please consider making a donation today.

underwing moth

Moth Walk and Talk

,

At Good Hill Farm Preserve located on the Roxbury-Woodbury border, on Route 317.

August 24th 8:00pm – 10:00pm

When flowering plants evolved 130 million years ago, moths were the original pollinators. Today they continue to be important pollinators for flowers and forest trees. Join Larry Fischer as he attracts moths with lights and bait, identifies them and talks about their natural history. RSVP development@roxburylandtrust.org

Orzech

Bird and Nature Walk on September 6th!

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”|||24px||” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” width=”86.8%”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”||2px|||” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]

Bird & Nature Walk with Larry Fischer

September 6th 8:30am-10:30am  At the Orzech Preserve, 2 Botsford Hill Road Larry Fischer is a past president of the Western Connecticut Bird Club and licensed by the U.S. Department of the Interior to handle and band birds of prey. Larry lectures all over the Northeast on birds of prey and has been a guest lecturer at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Join him on a bird walk and learn not only various bird identification points but also about habitat selection and nesting behavior.

RSVP development@roxburylandtrust.org.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Load More