Join Us for These Saturday Work Parties

The Branford Land Trust welcomes local residents to come volunteer for its Saturday Work Parties. This is a great opportunity to meet new people, learn about the Land Trust and local open space properties, and put in some good work on behalf of the community. Upcoming late winter events are listed below. Please email info@ branfordlandtrust.org to be included on the Saturday Work Party email list or for questions.

Saturday February 25, 2023, 9:00am-12:00pm
Hillside Avenue/Hillside Park Parcel

A joint project between the Branford Land Trust and the Town of Branford’s Conservation Commission. This roughly 10-acre parcel sits just north of the town green and is surrounded by developments on all sides. As such, reports of dumping, encroachments, and invasive species (especially English ivy) have been observed over the recent years.

During a recent visit, much of the southern half of the property is infested with invasive species including dense monocultures of winged euonymus, verdant carpets of English ivy, and occasional patches of multiflora rose, tree of heaven, lesser celandine, Japanese barberry, and Japanese knotweed. Given how well established these plants have become, we hope to commit part of the day towards eradicating plants in manageable areas to control the spread. We also plan to spend part of the day (or split up based on attendance) picking up litter.

What to bring: hand pruners, loppers, gloves, proper clothing/sturdy footwear. I will bring extra hand tools, a weed wrench, plastic trash bags, and paper leaf bags.

Where to park: there are a couple of public lots near the property: 23 Hillside Avenue and 19 Harrison Avenue. From there walk north along Hillside Avenue, near Green View Commons and Rosehill Apartments, until you reach a small roundabout driveway. The very northern end of Hillside Avenue is the public access point for this property.

Saturday March 18th, 9:00am-12:00pm
Pisgah Brook/Knocker’s Hole

There have been a lot of on-going projects in these Town-owned parcels and the trail network is extensive. If you have not hiked through these woods, this would be a great time to check out the trail! During this project, we hope to achieve a number of trail improvement tasks. Heading east on the red and white (Branford) trails, a number of smaller sections of the trail have been flooding after rain events and need some maintenance in order to better drain. Some sections of the trail need hardscaping to improve footing over muddy areas. We intend to use local materials for the hardscaping.

What to bring: waterproof boots, hand tools (spades, rakes, grub hoe, pickaxe, pry bar, etc.), work gloves. I will have extra tools on hand for those who don’t have access to them.

Where to park: park in the gravel lot off Laurel Hill Road. The closest navigable address is 154 Laurel Hill Road. The parking lot entrance is just north of this private residence. There is a wooden trail kiosk at the entrance to the parking lot.