Volunteers Needed!

1.  Come to a Work Party.  These "parties" are listed on the calendar and by email.  Add your name to my Shelton Trails Work Party email list, and you will receive notices of upcoming work parties, usually once or twice a month.   Email me and be sure to specify that you want to be added to the email list.    Say "Shelton Trails" in the subject line, because I get a LOT of junk email and don't even open email with subjects that sound junky.  

2. Become active with the Shelton Trails Committee. Start out by attending some of the meetings (see calendar for when and where).  

3. Pick up garbage & sticks along the trail anytime! 

4.  Become a "Keeper":  Landkeepers adopt an Open Space property, Trailkeepers adopt a section of trail, and Riverkeepers adopt a section of river.  All "keepers" keep an eye on their adopted feature, picking up trash as necessary, and alert the Conservation Commission to issues that arise. Contact Teresa, Conservation Agent, at 924-1555 x315 or conservation@cityofshelton.org for more info.

5. Plan an individual or group project of your own.  All projects, with the exception of picking up trash or removing leaves and sticks off of trails should be coordinated with the Shelton Trails Committee (see below).   See the Scout page for more information on community service opportunities for troops and to see what some other Scouts have done for the park system.  See Independent Trail Projects Completed to get an idea of what other people have done and our wishlist for more ideas.  For trail projects, contact Bill Dyer, Trails Committee Chairman, at 926-0424 or Teresa, Conservation Agent, at 924-1555 x315, conservation@cityofshelton.org.

Volunteers clear a Rec Path side-trail to waterfall and caves off of Wesley Drive.  Left to right: Bob Wilkins, Lynn Reid, Terry Gallagher and Bert Sobanik.

See also: Meet the Volunteers

The vast majority of trails in the United States are created and maintained by volunteers. This is true in Shelton as well.  So if you enjoy hiking or biking the trails, consider donating your time.   There are several ways you can do this.  Some people prefer to work independently by picking up trash while they hike, or clearing windfalls.  Scouting groups and others can propose a trail improvement, like a bridge or drainage project, and complete the improvement on their own. 

Volunteers building steps on Riverview Trail. From left to right: Bob Wilkins, Ken Burns and Tom Harbinson.

Active Organizations:

There are three organizations involved in trail-making and maintenance in Shelton: The Shelton Trails Committee (City property), the Connecticut Forest and Parks Association (The Blue Dot Paugussett Trail), and the Shelton Land Trust (Land Trust property). 

The Shelton Trails Committee is now responsible for tracking and organizing trail volunteers for trails on City property.  

This is an official City Committee formed under the Conservation Commission and currently provides the best opportunity for people to become involved.  The Committee meets once each month, usually on the first Wednesday at 5:30 p.m (check the calendar).  Meetings are open to the public and are held in the Planning & Zoning office at City Hall (Room 303).

The Connecticut Forest and Park Association   (CFPA). This group maintains the Paugussett ("Blue Dot") Trail in Shelton, which runs from Indian Well State Park to Monroe. Join the Association, and you'll get a free copy of the Connecticut Walk Book, which has maps and descriptions of hundreds of miles of Connecticut Blue Dot Trails, including the Paugussett Trail. Call (860) 346-2372 to join or check out their website. Their address is 16 Meriden Road, Middlefield, CT 06484.

The Shelton Land Conservation Trust manages private open space in Shelton on which trails are sometimes built.  The most notable example is Nicholdale Farm on Route 110 in the White Hills region, where Scouts have been active building a trail system. Their website is at www.sheltonlandtrust.org.