Meeting Schedule

Schedule for Fall 2009 -Spring 2010
All Meetings are held at the Community Center in the Faulkner Room at 7:30pm.

Monday, September 21, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Monday, January 25, 2010 (4th Monday due to MLK Day)
Monday, February 22, 2010 (4th Monday due to President's Day)
Monday, March 15, 2010
Monday April 19, 2010
Monday May 17, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010 - Annual picnic at Chaffinch Island at 6:30pm

Scheduled Work Parties

22 May (Saturday @ 9AM) -- SPENCER'S CREEK FIELD CLEARING AND INVASIVE PLANT REMOVAL -- Join the annual Guilford Yacht Club's work party to help GLCT return the Spencer's Creek property to open field. We've made great strides in clearing the back field over the winter, and with a big push we can get most of the back field open for seeding of wildflowers. Meet at the Spencer's Creek property at 9, parking in the field off of Three Mile Course or up the road at the Cox School. Bring work gloves and hand pruning tools, or any favorite gardening tools you're comfortable working with. A long sleeve shirt, long pants, stout boots and a hat are recommended as there is some poison ivy at this site. If you have questions contact Ted << olmstedirregulars@guilfordlandtrust.org >> . (Rain date: on Sunday the 23rd @ 9AM) [est 3 to 4 hours]

29 May (Saturday @ 10:00AM) -- WEST WOODS YELLOW TRAIL BLAZING -- This workparty will be re-blazing the yellow trail, a major north/south trail which roughly parallels Moose Hill Road. While blazing is the primary objective, pruning and trimming of trees and shrubs will be performed, if necessary. Please meet at the Moose Hill Road entrance, across from Landon's Way. Bring work gloves and any hand tools you're comfortable using. We'll have the paint/brushes for the blazing work. [est 2 hours]

30 May (Sunday@ 2:00PM) -- HOADLEY CREEK (HEAVY) TRAIL MAINTENANCE -- A recent spring hike reported significant blowdowns on the green trail of the Hoadley Creek property. Four good sized oaks are blocking this section of trail, and need to be removed. In addition, the spring floods have washed the bridge crossing Jarvis Creek down stream about thirty feet. This bridge needs to be pulled back and fixed in place. The work will involve chainsaw work and muscling log sections off the trail, then hefting the 12 ft bridge back up the creek bed and drilling fasteners into rock to keep the bridge in place. If you're interested in helping, please meet at the Quarry Road entrance in Stoney Creek (***NOT*** Quarry Road in Guilford), just south of the Quarry entrance. Bring work gloves and log handling tools (like a peavey) and boots that will either keep you dry or that you don't mind getting wet. We'll have two chainsaws, but you can bring one if you know how to use it safely. [est 3 to 4 hours]

5 June (Saturday @ 1:00PM) -- SPENCER'S CREEK: BIG ROCK MOVING FOR BENCH INSTALLATION -- A recently donated teak bench is to be installed overlooking the West River, and rocks need to be moved to provide a suitable base. The work involves selecting and moving two, several hundred pound rocks to the water edge, then drilling holes for the hardware needed to keep the bench from floating away during floods or light fingers. Bring work gloves, tough boots, and any experience you have for moving significant rocks. We'll have a small tractor and a variety of pinch bars, rollers and various useful tools for moving things that you really can't lift. Meet at the Spencer's Creek property parking in the field off of Three Mile Course. [est 3 to 5 hours]

6 June (Sunday@ 2:00PM) -- TANNER MARSH BROOK: FIELD RESTORATION -- A re-scheduling of a work party rained out in April. This is recent acquisition of property surrounding the brook that empties the Tanner Marsh gives us an opportunity to clear a little field before it's so overgrown that it becomes too difficult. The field has begun to be choked by autumn olive and we'd like to remove these plants so that our steward can mow the field on a bi-annual basis. We'll need a volunteers to handle chain saws and loppers, as well as help drag these cuttings into areas where they can be ground up with the brush hog. Plan to meet at the bend in Tanner Marsh Road, just south of Richies Way (you'll see the diamond shaped GLCT signs on trees along the east side of the road). Bring along loppers and other hand tools that could be useful to cut down heavy brush. We'll have two chainsaws, but you can bring one if you know how to use it safely. [est 3 to 4 hours]

(see <<http://guilfordlandtrust.org/wordpress/category/calendar/month/>> for updates to this schedule)
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Ongoing:

Every Saturday morning @ 9AM -- Garden work at the Olmsted at the intersection of Broad and River Street. Now that spring is in full swing, there's plenty to do and extra volunteers are always welcome. Ted Mankovich << olmstedirregulars@guilfordlandtrust.org >> directs these efforts.

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To be scheduled:
-- Construction of a map kiosk at the Dudley - Barrow Woods. (May10 WWTC)
-- At Jared Eliot we need to blaze the road as a cross trail linking the white trail and the yellow. Take couple of cuts off the tree that broke the bridge and pull them out of the water course so they won't impede the flow. (May10 email from TM)
-- Pull the bridge at Hoadley Creek back to it's placement on the trail. Pin bridge into place so it can no longer float away. (Apr10 WWTC)
-- Clear invasive plants (mostly Autumn Olive) from County Road Meadows property. Schedule for the Fall'10 (Apr10 GLCT)
-- Clear downed cedars on the white trail (west of Renees Way) on Dudley Farm property (Apr10 Steve Besse)
-- Workparty to install the donated bench onto the Spencer's Creek property (Apr10 WWTC)
-- Clean-up of the dam on Old Scroggie Pond. Removal of trees and inspection. (Mar10 GLCT)
-- Establish trail for East River Estuary property on Tanner Marsh Road. (Mar10GLCT)
-- Removal of the couch deposited a few hundred feet into the Three Corners Road WWT entrance. (Dec09 WWTC)
-- Construction of a trail head marker and map kiosk at the Granite Road entrance to the Big Maple Trail. (Nov09 WWTC)
-- Construction of a trail head marker and map kiosk at the Greenwood Lane entrance to WestWoods. (Nov09 WWTC)
-- Upper MooseHill Road trail entrance needs to be enlarged to allow parking to avoid the commonly wet areas. (Oct09)
-- Construction of a map kiosk at the Granite Road (Gables) entrance to Hoadley Creek. (Apr09 WWTC)
-- Kiosk on the southern entrance of Hoadley Creek has no map. (Apr09 WWTC)
-- A special annual workparty, dedicated to the memory of Fred Richards. Likely scheduled for the autumn, WWTC is leaning towards the building of a special bench, somewhere in westwoods. (March09 WWTC)
-- Repair of the cow-bridge on the County Road Meadows property. Schedule inspection in early spring (Jan09 email, Caroline Chandler -steward)
-- Road and culvert inspection/repair at Myer Huber property. Schedule inspection in early spring. (Jan09 Monitoring Report, John Frick -steward)
-- Blaze the Nut Plains to Eastwoods connecting trail. (Nov08 WWTC)

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Trail Assignments:

As the WWT loop walks are laid out and mapped, we are looking for volunteers who will oversee a loop, walk it on a regular basis, and keep it clear and free of deadfalls. If necessary, they would report to WWTC is trail work is required or if evidence of abuse or misuse is found. If you would like to take on a loop (there are five left), contact Paul Proulx <<pauljproulx@comcast.net>>

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Other bits:

SEE OUR NEW WEBSITE!! -- If you want to see something really cool, take a look at our new website: <<http://guilfordlandtrust.org/wordpress/>>. This new site continues to be updated with new content, and we're looking for feedback and suggestions as well as new content and pictures that we can post.

GLCT ANNUAL MEETING -- 13 June (Sunday@4:00PM)-- As the past few years, the meeting will be at the Dudley Farm, at the intersection of Rt. 80 and Rt. 77. Stephen Gephard from the state DEP will be our guest speaker. Please come and vote for the new board of directors, and give us feedback as to how well we're managing your Land Trust.

WWTC ANNUAL PICNIC -- 21 June (Monday @ 6:30PM) -- Our last meeting of the year and an excuse to have a picnic. We hold a brief business meeting, with an emphasis on brief, and then spend the rest of the evening grilling chicken and hot dogs, and enjoying all the good trails committee company. If you're interested in joining us, we ask that you bring along something to share ... please contact Paul Proulx <<pauljproulx@comcast.net>> who's keeping the master list of who's doing what.

GLCT PROPERTY BOOK -- GLCT has published it's 2009 property book which is available on email request. This is an Adobe book containing maps of all 36 properties. If you'd like a copy, send your request to GLCTStewardship@gmail.com. Be warned: it's a 7MB file, so be sure you have the available space in your mailbox!

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SPRING WALKS -- With twelve down and just 5 left, you're running out of opportunities. Complete descriptions follow:

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May 23rd (Sun) 8a Guilford Birding Areas – 3 hrs.

Meet Patrick Commins (203) 264-5098 and Chris Field, both from Audubon Connecticut, at the Guilford Salt Meadows Sanctuary on for a 3 hour tour of key birding spots in Guilford including the East River Preserve, Sachem's Head Marsh and the Town Marina. Learn about our efforts to create a pilot next generation Breeding Bird Atlas for the greater New Haven area. Bring appropriate footwear for light hiking and binoculars. Heavy rain cancels. No dogs.

June 5th (Sat) 8a (rain date June 6th 8a) New England National Scenic Trail – 6 hrs, 11 mi.

Experienced hikers, please join Jim Fullner (860-663-3373), Pres. New Haven Hiking Club, and Paul Mei, GLCT Northwoods steward, for a huge 11 mile hike along the New England National Scenic Trail as it extends from the Mattabesset Trail in Guilford. Cross varied and pristine parcels of protected open space. Wear sturdy footwear and bring water, snacks and lunch. Meet at Bluff Head parking lot - Rt. 77 North Guilford.

June 5th (Sat) 10a East River Preserve / New England National Scenic Trail – 1 ½ hrs, 2 mi.

Heather Allore (203-494-3886) leads kids & family walk exploring critters under rock, on ground and in air. Meet at ________________.

June 6th (Sun) 10a (heavy rain cancels) East River Preserve – 2 hrs, 4 mi.

Heather Allore (203-494-3886) leads walk through fields, woodlands, salt marsh, and old cemetery. Meet at Sullivan Drive entrance.

June 6th (Sun) 4p (rain date June 13th) Nut Plains Woods – 1 1/2 hrs – 2 hrs, 4 mi.

Kari Henley (453-4715) & Karen Goldberg lead kids & family walk exploring the Nut Plains Woods. Hike will include nature exploration in woodlands, on plank walks and over easy rolling hillsWear appropriate footwear. All ages. Meet at Cindy Lane Trail entrance.

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The last West Woods Trail Committee meeting before the summer recess will be held 6:30PM Monday, June 21st, 2010, at Chaffinch Island. It's really an excuse to have a picnic, so please join us to thank all the volunteers whom help keep our properties in good shape. (See above note for details).

Hope to see you at the picnic, on the trails, or on a work party,