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09/05/2023 01:11 PMA partnership between the Shoreline Greenway Trail (SGT) town teams will present a free masters walk in Madison on Sept. 13 at the Hammonasset Trailhead. Leading the tour will be botanical author Lauren Brown, who will proctor an informative walk along the Hammonasset State Park’s section of the SGT, instructing participants on how to identify some of the common local shrubs found along our shore environs.
SGT President Dan Buckley said the walk will be a special event that is part of a new series offered by SGT teams and something that residents should take advantage of.
“The masters series is something that we started last year, which is really kind of cool. What we are trying to do with these events is to find somebody who is a ‘master’ in some discipline, something as obvious as birds or trees, maybe geology, or a little history. This September event with Laura Brown will focus on shrubs, which are really cool, too,” said Buckley. “This will be a great event because it’s being hosted by the Guilford Greenway Trail team, partnering with the Branford Land Trust, and being held in Madison. So, this is a great opportunity for anyone along the shoreline.”
According to organizers and Brown, shrubs are an often overlooked form of flora that can be critical habitat for numerous other species.
“This is a great way to get outside. It’s a very easy walk, and it is also such a beautiful section of the trail, and another great reason to come out, whether by yourself or with family and friends. These are free events and unique opportunities for participants. It is a really nice way to enjoy an hour or so walk. We are a nonprofit, and we do these events so that people get to enjoy what the region offers and what the Shoreline Greenway Trail is trying to develop.”
Lauren Brown is the author of two botanical field guides, Weeds and Wildflowers in Winter and Grasses, Sedges, Rushes: An Identification Guide. She is vice president of the Connecticut Botanical Society and serves on the board of directors of the Branford Land Trust, according to organizers.
This special weekday event is being sponsored in conjunction with the Branford, Guilford, and Madison teams of the Shoreline Greenway Trail and several respective land trusts.
“This event will be held on a Wednesday, which is kind of unique for us, but we love it because it provides an opportunity for people who have their weekends booked up,” said Buckley. “This event is also being held in partnership with the Branford Land Trust, which is a great opportunity to build some coalition between the various Greenway Trail teams. There are a lot of groups who are doing some really important events.”
The SGT is also partnering with the Shoreline Trolley Museum of East Haven and sponsoring events in the four towns that are partners in the SGT. Visit their website for more information on those tours.
This Master Series event is being held on Wednesday, Sept. 13, starting at 10 a.m. Participants will meet at 1 p.m. at the Park’s SGT Parking lot just east of the park entrance, off Route 1 in Madison. According to Buckley, the leisurely walk will last about one and a half hours.
Buckley said that due to midsummer heat, walkers are encouraged to bring water bottles and wear comfortable shoes. Leashed dogs are welcome, and there is a dog water dish next to the REI water station for filling up your own water bottles.
According to Buckley, the SGT is in need of volunteers, which are critical to keeping trails clear and safe. The SGT accepts donations, and more information about volunteering can be found on its website at www.shorelinegreenwaytrail.org.
Those interested should meet at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at the trailhead parking lot, Post Road East, in Madison. The walk will encompass the Hammonasset-west section of the Shoreline Greenway Trail in Madison.
Shoreline Greenway Trail will be hosting another series, Trolleys & Trails, on Sept. 9 at the Hammonasset trailhead.
This special event is a collaboration between the Shoreline Greenway Trail and The Shore Line Trolley Museum, taking the lure of bygone days when trolleys were plentiful and a main mode of transportation in the area and pairing it with existing and new routes being developed in East Haven, Branford, Guilford, and Madison.
This event will be held Saturday, Sept. 9, at 10 a.m. and will start at the Shoreline Greenway Trail trailhead on the Post Road, just east of the Hammonasset Beach State Park entrance, and is free and open to all.
The tour will encompass the Shoreline Greenway Trails 1.2-mile multiuse path that roughly parallels the old trolley route that helped form part of the Post Road. Participants will hear about the spur that delivered thousands of visitors to the Beach Pavilions in the 1920s. The walk will be approximately 90 minutes on mainly level ground. It will be led by a speaker from the Trolley Museum, well versed in local historic knowledge and lore.
The mission of The Shore Line Trolley Museum is to preserve and share the social and technological history and continuing impact of urban and suburban public transportation systems by sustaining and operating historic vehicles on the oldest continuously running suburban trolley line in the United States.
For more information, email info@shorelinegreenwaytrail.org.