Visitors to the Springfield’s Forest Park, a 750-acre wonderland perched like a jewel high above the Connecticut River, are familiar with its duck ponds, rose gardens, baseball fields and zoo. But fewer people are aware that there are 18 miles of trails tucked in the woods that frame the 750-acre park.
For those in the know, however, the shaded trails offer magic of their own. The paths provide a challenging course for cross-country runners, a quiet place to take a walk while listening to the background music of rustling trees and birds calling to their mates, an outdoor classroom for Springfield schoolchildren through the Clifford A. Phaneuf Environmental Center for Our Schools and, in the winter, a place for cross country skiers to leave their mark on newly fallen snow.
Over the last few seasons, however, the trails have fallen victim to erosion and storm damage with half of them closed or in need of repair.
That’s why we’re pleased that the state has recognized the value of their urban natural resource and awarded the city a $29,315 matching grant to rebuild and refurbish Forest Park’s trail system.
State Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Edward M. Lambert Jr. was in Springfield on Friday to announce the grant, which was one of eight grants statewide totaling $188,722. Springfield will match the grant by providing management and volunteer labor through youth-centered organizations such as YouthBuild, a group that puts disadvantaged teenagers to work, and local Boy Scouts.
We applaud the state and volunteers for stepping up to make sure the trails of Forest Park are accessible again. How lucky we are to have an 18-mile trail system so close to the city. Happy trails.