Media Contacts
-
Susan Wollschlager
The Nature Conservancy
Phone: 203-209-6218
Email: s.wollschlager@tnc.org
You don’t have to go deep into The Nature Conservancy's Burnham Brook Preserve to find it: beauty in every direction, as you take in grassy fields, a vibrant vernal pool, the tall and mighty trees Connecticut is known for. You rediscover your connection to the natural world and aren’t ready to turn around anytime soon.
More people are about to experience this local treasure. The preserve, located in East Haddam, has a new all-terrain wheelchair that will be available to visitors starting in mid-May.
Nature needs all of us, but we all need nature, too, and TNC keeps that sentiment top of mind every day here in Connecticut.
Quote: Austin Weber
All of it was fun because I’ve never done it before.
The track chair, as it’s also called, will be traveling some existing trails, but Burnham Brook will be creating more over time that lead to different areas (including a future path that will connect to a stunning overlook). Some local friends of the preserve and community partners have tested it out, operating the chair on different types of terrain and inclines, through leaves and over dirt.
It’s not very common to find track chairs at hiking trails, but TNC doesn’t shy away from pioneering new initiatives. And Burnham Brook itself is a symbol of new beginnings—the property was originally owned by Dr. Richard Goodwin, a TNC founder. He donated the land to TNC, along with his home, which is now the preserve’s field office.
There was a lot to do when the track chair morphed from an idea to an official addition—from assessing existing trails and finding a track chair company, to exploring a future chair’s possible functions and power.
Then, once the chair was delivered, everyone needed to see it in action and make adjustments, says David Gumbart, Connecticut River preserves manager.
TNC also received generous funding for the chair from the Community Foundation of Middlesex County (based in Middletown), and support from Athletic Brewing Company’s Two For the Trails conservation grants program for further trail development. Students from Franklin Academy in East Haddam even helped with trail prep while learning about the safe use of hand tools and proper pruning techniques.
Now the program will debut just in time for warm weather and a popular season on the chapter’s preserves.
“Our staff have worked hard to get the program off the ground, and we are excited to connect people from all communities to nature and the opportunity to enjoy a trip into the woods, sit by a vernal pool, or simply appreciate the beauty and quiet of the Burnham Brook Preserve,” says Martha Rice, TNC's volunteer coordinator in Connecticut.
To ensure that the chair has wide availability on the calendar, and that guests can learn about its options and functions during their visit, TNC will partner with local, trained volunteers who can support the effort. Then, multiple trails await.
“You have no idea how nice it is to get outside and have this control,” says Deb Lees, one of the preserve friends who tested out the track chair.
While the beautiful scenery is sure to be a highlight, visitors using the track chair will enjoy the land’s trees and wildlife, especially all of the birds.
More than 180 bird species have been spotted on the 1,122-acre parcel, which is also home to a wide variety of oaks, hickory, beech, birch, maple, and conifers, as well as mountain laurel and other shrubs, and many herbs and wildflowers.
Lots to take in, no matter the season, as preserve friend David Gephard noted when he tried the chair on a trail. “I can’t wait to come back and experience this at different times of the year.”
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. The Nature Conservancy is working to make a lasting difference around the world in 81 countries and territories (40 by direct conservation impact and 41 through partners) through a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit nature.org or follow @nature_press on X.