Conservation Commission
OCC Orange Turkey Hill Preserve
Saturday, June, 1, 2013
Turkey Hill Preserve walk – The Orange Conservation Commission will celebrate “Connecticut Trails Day” by hosting a hike at the Turkey Hill Preserve 10 am and 2 pm. There will be a guided walk at 10:00 a.m. All are invited to enjoy this scenic hiking area. Families and children are welcome, and comfortable shoes and clothes are recommended. BYO water and refreshments, and all dogs must be leashed. This is Orange’s largest open space site; these 376 acres also will offer the most varied experiences for the visitor. An old growth core forest is dotted with ledges, ridges, vernal pools, gorges, streams, ponds, shallow waterways, and a 100-ft hill that is steep but hike able. It is populated by a wide variety of plant life and wildlife. Trails are limited and are subject to change while uses for the site continue to evolve. Steady rain or lightning cancels, with Sunday June 2 as the rain date. For more information, contact: Dan Lynch, Orange Park & Recreation: 203-891-4790 or Sharon Ewen Conservation Chair by e-mail sme71@yahoo.com.
| What: Turkey Hill Preserve When: Saturday, June 1, 2012 from 10 am to 2 pm –June 2 rain date same time. Where: The Turkey Hill Preserve Area Parking lot is located on Derby Milford Road which can be accessed by traveling on Turkey Hill Road that will bring you directly into Preserve. GPS address: 700 Derby-Milford Road Parking: Parking is to the right of drive way. Contact: Dan Lynch, Orange Park & Recreation: 203-891-4790 or Sharon Ewen Conservation Chair by e-mail sme71@yahoo.com |
Orange Open Space Guide Available
“A Guide to the Open Spaces of Orange, Connecticut” is a full-color reference for maximum enjoyment of the town’s 1,000 acres of public open space. It provides useful information including trail maps, brief descriptions of each sites, facilities, hours, even GPS addresses for the parking areas. The 18 x 24 guide folds into a convenient pocket-sized tool. It features a town map indicating the locations of all of the passive and active open spaces, and charts showing available and permitted uses at each site. Copies will be available at Case Memorial Library, the Orange Parks and Recreation office and the Orange Chamber of Commerce.
Land Stewards Needed
The Orange Conservation Commission needs more volunteers to help maintain trails and care for the land on the all properties for which the OCC is responsible—Paul Ode Nature Trail (High Plains Community Center), Wepawaug (off Mapledale Rd), Wrights Pond (Old Grassy Hill Rd), Housatonic Overlook (Cedar Grove Rd/High RidgeRd), Racebrook Tract (Racebrook Rd), and Ewen Farm Preserve (Lambert Road/Tyler City). We are seeking highly motivated individuals or families who regularly use the trails and want to give something back to the town. Training in basic trail maintenance skills can be provided. The OCC is especially interested in:
· retired persons looking to stay physically active
· young adults looking for a challenge
· students who need to fulfill community service hours for graduation
· families with older children who enjoy working together in the outdoors
· owners of properties in the vicinity of town-owned land who would personally benefit from good stewardship practices nearby
· amateur or professional naturalists
· people who have or would like to develop leadership skills
· those experienced with hand tools, painting, carpentry, or landscaping
If you are interested in helping the OCC in this way, please contact OCC commission member Sharon Ewen at 799-3769 or sme71@yahoo.com. Aside from being a great way to provide community service, trail maintenance can be very rewarding!
Commission Openings
Residents who have an interest in and/or experience in environmental issues, environmental programs, natural resources, conservation, preservation and land management are encouraged to apply for open positions by calling the office of the First Selectman Jim Zeoli at 203-891-2122 Ext. 737 or e-mail: jzeoli@orange-ct.gov.
Ewen Farm Preserve, a town-owned space.
| Sharon Ewen, Chair | Term exp. 5/28/15 |
| Stuart Coleman | Term exp. 5/28/13 |
| David Krause | Term exp. 5/28/14 |
| Cindy Ruggeri | Term exp. 5/28/15 |
| Baxter Walsh | Term exp. 5/28/14 |
| Amy Williams | Term exp. 5/28/15 |
| Vacant | Term exp. 5/28/13 |
The Conservation Commission meets in the small Conference Room in the basement of Town Hall at 7:00 PM on the second Monday of each month, except for September and October, when the meetings are on the third Monday because of holidays.
Town of Orange Conservation Commission (Section 6.60, Town Charter)
There shall be a Conservation Commission consisting of seven members for the development and conservation of natural resources, including water resources, within the territorial limits of the Town.
Said commission shall have the powers, possesses all of the rights and may engage in any of the activities enumerated in Section 7-131(a) of the General Statutes.
Town-Owned Passive Open Space
Click here to view a list, including acreage and date of acquisition.
Links
South Central Regional Council of Governments
Connecticut State Parks and Forests
CT Association of Conservation and Inland Wetlands Commission