New Haven Land Trust Trails
New Haven Land Trust
New Haven (duh)
I’ve written many times on these pages about my affinity for urban hiking. The hills behind Lake Compounce in Bristol, the oddly serene areas north of Waterbury’s downtown… that sort of thing.
New Haven has a bunch of “nature,” and much of it is easily visible from I-91. (It’s also easily accessible to everyone and anyone.) The New Haven Land Trust, however, seems to manage a bunch of preserves that aren’t usually in the brochures like East and West Rock are.
And I like that even more.
This is where I usually cut and paste a blurb from the organization in question telling us how old they are and how they are a non-profit created to preserve greenspace within whatever town(s). But the NHLT has a really cool program that I’ve yet to come across while learning about our state’s (seemingly) infinite land trusts.
Check this out:
The New Haven Land Trust manages nearly 50 community vegetable gardens by providing technical assistance and supplies. We work with neighborhood residents, tenant associations, block watches, social service agencies, schools, youth groups, and the elderly. Greening our urban areas puts vacant lots to productive use. Community gardening provides neighbors with exercise, stress relief, a sense of well being, and opportunities for family time and learning new skills. Best of all, neighbors enjoy delicious homegrown bounty.
That’s pretty great, I must say. For (white people) whatever (Yale) reason (wealthy yuppies), Nutmeggers seem to disbelieve that New Haven has just as many or more murders than Hartford or Bridgeport. So to hear that this program exists to make something out of vacant lots is pretty great.
And as my wife and I are just finishing the whole of The Wire (second time through for me), and knowing how Chris and Snoop utilized the vacant… I think a plot of vegetables is just fantastic.
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I must say, I rather like the NHLT’s giant pictures on their site. Well done.
The Preserves/Hikes with trails:
If linked, I’ve hiked it.
Long Wharf
Pond Lily Nature Preserve
Quinnipiac Meadows
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CTMQ’s Land Trust Trails Page
CTMQ’s Non-CFPA Trails page
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