Press Releases
05/30/2025
Connecticut Greenways Council to Hold 26th Annual Greenway Awards and Kick Off Connecticut Trails Day Events
One New Connecticut Greenway Designee, Six Awards
(HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Greenways Council (CGC) will host its 26th Annual Connecticut Greenway Awards at Riverfront Recapture’s Boathouse in Hartford on Friday, June 6, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. The event is traditionally held on the Friday before Connecticut Trails Day, which occurs the weekend of June 7 and 8, 2025.
The Byram River Greenway in Greenwich will be formally designated at Friday’s event. Awards will be presented to six additional organizations and individuals who have made significant contributions to the promotion, development, and enhancement of greenways in Connecticut.
What’s a Greenway?
A greenway is a corridor of open space that may protect natural resources such as river corridors, preserve scenic landscapes such as ridgelines, preserve historical resources such as historic barge canals, offer opportunities for recreation or nonmotorized transportation including paved or unpaved trail systems, or connect existing protected open spaces and provide access to the outdoors. They may be located along a defining natural feature such as a waterway, in a greenspace along a highway or around a village, or along a man-made corridor including an unused right-of-way, traditional trail routes, or historic barge canals. The Connecticut Greenways Council webpage contains details on how to propose designations, get assistance, and view a map of our State Greenways.
“Connecticut's Official Greenways connect municipal, state, and private lands for the benefit of our communities by enhancing public access and recreation and protecting natural watersheds and wildlife corridors,” said Katie Dykes, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). “The addition of the Byram River Greenway in Greenwich celebrates public access while promoting environmental stewardship and conservation. Trail professionals and committed advocates and volunteers play essential roles in the planning, upkeep, and protection of Connecticut’s Trails and Greenways. Congratulations and thank you to each of this year’s awardees.”
Anyone interested in supporting greenways can purchase a Connecticut Greenways license plate. These plates raise the public awareness of the importance of our greenways and provide funding for state and local efforts to preserve, restore, and protect our greenways.
Newly Designated Greenways: The Byram River Greenway
The Byram River Greenway in Greenwich is a corridor of open space composed of Greenwich Land Trust’s Bryam River Preserve and Lapham Preserve, along with adjacent Greenwich Audubon conservation land and Town of Greenwich open space. The properties total 249 acres and stretch north to south more than 2.75 miles. They encompass a rich tapestry of natural habitats including meadows, woodlands, river bottoms, and riparian zones, providing vital ecological functions and potential recreational opportunities for the local community. Additionally, they directly protect the water quality of the Byram River. Currently, access to these natural areas is limited. There is a disconnected, fragmented network of trails across each of the parcels. The Goals of this Greenway Designation are to:
- Enhance Recreational Opportunities: Create a trail that provides recreational opportunities for the community while preserving and enhancing the natural beauty of the Byram River Preserve.
- Environmental Conservation: Ensure the trail design minimizes environmental impact and supports the conservation goals of the Greenwich Land Trust, Town of Greenwich, and Greenwich Audubon.
- Accessibility and Safety: Design a trail that is accessible to a diverse range of users, including hikers, horseback riders, and birdwatchers, while prioritizing safety and minimizing conflicts between different user groups.
- Interpretation and Education: Develop interpretive signage and educational materials along the trail to increase awareness and understanding of the natural and cultural history of the area.
This Year’s Greenways Awardees:
Clare Cain – Clare has served as the Connecticut Forest and Park Association’s (CFPA’s) Trails Director for over 15 years and currently also serves as CFPA’s Interim Executive Director. Clare has been the leader in maintaining CFPA’s Blue-Blazed Trail System. The trails are hosted on 825 miles of private, town, and state lands stretching across 96 towns and now include the nation’s newest National Scenic Trail, the New England Trail, designated in 2009. Clare has been a long-term advocate of trails in Connecticut and is knowledgeable in all aspects of trail planning, construction, and management. She has a history of working with various members of the public across ages, backgrounds, and skill levels.
Joanne Tedford - Joanne works for Town of Manchester’s Leisure, Family, and Recreation Department. She has been a life-long advocate for, user of, and planner of multi-use trails. Last year she led Manchester’s pursuit of national recognition as a Bike Friendly Community. This effort involved bringing together committee members from the Police, Town Planning, and Town Engineer Departments along with greenways advocates and trail users. Joanne currently is preparing an application to the American League of Bicyclists to achieve Gold recognition. She also is preparing a grant application for a 2.5-mile multi-use trail loop connecting Charter Oak Greenway, Main Street, Center Park, Center Springs Park, Cheney Rail Trail, Hartford Road, and the Historic District Area.
Stacey Stearns – Stacey served on the Connecticut Greenways Council from 2016 through 2024 as a dedicated representative of Connecticut’s Equestrian community, supporting the review and decision-making process for Connecticut Recreational Trails grants, and actively supporting the planning and execution of the annual Connecticut Greenways Awards and Connecticut Trails Symposium. In her professional position, Stacey serves as a Communications Specialist for the University of Connecticut Extension and uses the skills she has developed to support many volunteer positions such as serving as Chair of the Mansfield Agricultural Committee and Board Member of the Morgan Horse Association. We want to thank Stacey for her commitment to the Connecticut Greenways Council and the trail community across Connecticut.
Kevin Sullivan - Kevin is the co-founder of Bike Walk Wethersfield and has been a strong advocate for bicycle and pedestrian access and bike commuting throughout the state. In his professional position, commuting by bike to Hartford, Kevin was a Supervising Environmental Analyst for the CT DEEP Waste Engineering and Enforcement Division, serving the public for over 37 years prior to his retirement in early February 2025. He has been the lead organizer of the Hartford Bike to Work Day, coordinating with CT DEEP and Connecticut Department of Transportation staff and commissioners. Kevin volunteers for many bike and pedestrian organizations and planning advisory groups throughout Connecticut.
Newtown Bridle Lands Association (NBLA) - The NBLA was formed in 1978 by a small group of riding enthusiasts. NBLA’s activities encompass preserving and expanding Newtown’s trail system and offering educational talks, demonstrations, and group trail rides. They work with landowners and developers to maintain and preserve crucial links in Newtown’s trail system. Due to members’ efforts, all town-owned open space is available to horseback riders. NBLA’s ultimate goal is to link open space with existing trails for a town-wide trail system. NBLA received a Recreational Trails Grant in 2023 to improve a trail crossing and develop a new parking area for both horse trailer and car parking to support trail access in the Newtown Forest Association’s properties. The projects were successfully completed within six months of grant contract execution.
University of Connecticut (UConn) Connecticut Trails Program - Stemming from the Connecticut Trail Census pilot program, the UConn CT Trails Program has grown to include Connecticut Trail Finder and outreach and education efforts that truly have revolutionized what we know about trails and trail users and how trail users access trails in Connecticut. We have had a front-row seat to witness the professionalism, ingenuity and passion with which UConn staff Emily Wilson, Anita Morzillo, Adelheid Koepfer, and Laura Kelly have developed the CT Trails Program into a one-of-a-kind resource for Connecticut. The UConn CT Trails Program is the only state-level source of freely accessible, transparent trails data that serves many user groups including community leaders, decision-makers, planners, economic development personnel, trail advocates, trail users, and the public. Connecticut contains thousands of miles of trails on interspersed parcels managed by an impressive number of organizations. Yet there is little comprehensive understanding of how many people use these trails and the exact breadth of the resource in terms of trail miles and location. Consequently, there is an unmet need for trail managers to provide and trail users to access accurate and comprehensive information including maps about trails across the state regardless of who manages or maintains them. The UConn CT Trails Program has been working to inform these questions and address the issues for both trail managers and trail users alike under its umbrella of member programs and activities.
Connecticut Trails Day
The Greenway Awards also mark the unofficial kick-off to National Trails Day, known locally as “Connecticut Trails Day,” a two-day event that occurs the first weekend of June every year to promote Connecticut’s diverse trail offerings. This year, nearly 200 Connecticut Trails Day events will occur June 7-8, 2025. Connecticut hosts more events than any state in the nation. Please visit the Connecticut Forest & Park Association’s Trails Day webpage to find a hike, bicycle ride, paddle, or trail maintenance event happening in your area.- Twitter: @CTDEEPNews
- Facebook: DEEP on Facebook
Contact
DEEP Communications
DEEP.communications@ct.gov
860-424-3110