New Signs on Chidsey Brook Nature Trail!

Thanks to a recent Eagle Scout project, 12 new signs were installed along the Chidsey Brook Nature Trail. Each identifies a particular tree or plant species found along the trail. Following this installing, a guide offering descriptive information about each species will be created as part of this project.

Decorative Rocks on the Nature Trail

In honor of Earth Day, one Pine Grove School class decorated a series of rocks and placed them in various places along the trail. Hike the trail and see how many you can find!

Spring has Arrived to the Chidsey Brook Nature Trail

Snow Day on the CBT!

School is canceled! But a cross-country ski along the Chidsey Brook Nature Trail revealed much activity on this January morning. As snow fell, the trail looked like a veritable highway with tracks from various animals leading every which way. The snow was deep enough so that the tips of my skis disappeared while pushing on down the trail. And on Chidsey Brook: a dozen ducks! Upon approach, they flapped their wings and flew off in sets of three and four, quacking up a storm amid their retreat.

Benches for The Outdoor Classroom!

In 2007, a semi-circle of benches were erected and pea grave was spread beneath to create an outdoor classroom that is used by students of Pine Grove and Thompson Brook school (and members of the surrounding community while school is not in session). This was among one of the big milestones toward completion of the trail.

Trail Map Created for Chidsey Brook Nature Trail!

Using a base map assembled by community member Val Ferro (she pulled pertinent maps on record at the Avon Town Hall), a trail map was created to offer hikers some general orientation.

Chidsey Brook Nature Trail Used for Pine Grove School and Thomspon Brook School Teacher Orientation

At the beginning of the 2008 school year, both the Pine Grove Elementary School and the Thompson Brook School in Avon, CT used the Chidsey Brook Nature Trail as part of their teacher orientation. At the time, Pine Grove School principal Gail Dahling-Hench placed a trail journal in the wooden box at informational bulletin board at the start of the trail. The journal has since received much use by hikers of the trail.

Eagle Scout Project Helps Shape Opening of Trail!

Among the more significant enhancements to the Chidsey Brook Nature Trail came as the result of an Eagle Scout Project undertaken by local resident Will Suter who brought scores of volunteers here bearing axes, clippers and shovels. Over the course of two days, trails were cleared, flower beds were built, and borders were created along the trail in order to make it as safe as possible for young children.

Second Round of Signs Placed Along Chidsey Brook Nature Trail

The second round of signage placed along the Chidsey Brook Nature Trail by BelMeade Signs included a sign identifying this flow of water and a map that shows where Chidsey Brook is found in the Farmington River Watershed.

Signage Installed on Chidsey Brook Nature Trail

It was on a humid Father's Day when the co-owners of West Granby-based Belmeade Signs did the first in a series of sign installations along the Chidsey Brook Nature Trail. Efforts were made to use sturdy sustainable materials. Also, water brought by the bucket from Chidsey Brook was used to mix the concrete for the signage.

Letterboxing on Avon Day!

During Avon Day, a "letter boxing" event took place on the Chidsey Brook Nature Trail. Clues were supplied to those interested in venturing off into the woods in search of a series of plastic Rubbermaid bins containing stamps for their journals and additional trinkets of note.

Avon Day, 2008

A poster was created for Avon Day, 2008 to promote the opening of the Chidsey Brook Nature Trail, which is found behind the Pine Grove Elementary School in Avon, Connecticut. Avon Day is an annual event that attracts members of the community to this area for food, activities, and fellowship. The poster hung in the booth of the Avon Education Foundation, an organization that provided a grant to help make the idea of this educational nature trail a reality.

Winter, 2008

Last winter, I ventured out to the Chidsey Brook Nature Trail with my two daughters. A layer of ice had formed atop the snow, causing them to slide down sloped sections of trail. Luckily, we'd brought snowshoes whose crampons provided traction--and the opportunity for some fun.