On Thursday, May 28th, members of the Branford section of the Shoreline Greenway Trail (SGT) led a group of fifth-graders from Francis Walsh Intermediate School along sections of the trail paralleling Birch Road, crossing Pine Orchard Road, and through the Tabor property to Chet’s Pond.
At the Outdoor Classroom
Along the way, the students viewed the Outdoor Classroom recently restored by Eagle Scout candidate Charles Slate, visited Nature’s Garden, and were given a tour of the community gardens by SGT chair Judy Miller.
Judy explaining the works of the Community Garden
At Chet’s Pond, they saw an Osprey nest in a communication tower on the far shore of the pond and learned some of the reasons why ponds were constructed in Connecticut, including to supply drinking water, to power mills, and use for cutting ice blocks in the winter. Chet’s pond, named for pioneering Branford trail constructor Chet Blomquist, was created when gravel and dirt were dug from the area for use in the construction of Interstate 95.
Teachers Rudy Gosteli and Kristin Jones accompanied the students, who were led on the walk by Leo Cristofar with assistance from Judy Miller and Chet Blomquist along with Jo Zaehringer, Peg Stamp, and Sean Barry. A good time was had by all and a lot of garbage was collected by the students and removed from the trail!