Grant will fund Bog Meadow trail work

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » The 3M Company has awarded Saratoga PLAN an $11,250 eco-grant for environmental work related to ongoing Bog Meadow Brook Nature Trail improvements.

Funds will be used to improve trail access by creating a new route linking the Meadowbrook Road trailhead and the main trail, for boardwalk leveling and repairs, and to raise and smooth the trailbed from the northern Route 29 entrance.

The well-worn and popular 25-year-old Bog Meadow Trail will form part of the Saratoga Greenbelt Trail, which will eventually circle the entire city and provide connector trails to the downtown area, Geyser Crest, and other parts of the community. The trail is built on a former rail bed that linked Saratoga Springs to Saratoga Lake and Boston.

Saratoga PLAN is leading the trail renovation project, with funding and other support from the New York State Conservation Partnership Program, a matching grant from the city of Saratoga Springs, donated materials from the D.A. Collins

Companies, and engineering and labor from Munter Enterprises, in addition to the 3M grant.

Numerous volunteers are expected to provide additional labor.

The Meadowbrook Preserve, which encompasses 174 acres of wetlands and woods, surrounds the trail, working to protect the watershed where maple, ferns, meadowsweet, and evergreens are commonly found. The majority of the Meadowbrook Preserve was donated to the Saratoga Land Conservancy (now Saratoga PLAN) in 1988 by the Anderson family, with an additional parcel donated to PLAN in 2006 by Belmonte Builders and Bonacio Construction.

The entire Meadowbrook Preserve is owned and maintained by Saratoga PLAN, and the Bog Meadow Brook Nature Trail is owned by the City of Saratoga Springs and maintained by Saratoga PLAN.

Saratoga PLAN is a nonprofit land trust that works to preserve the rural character, natural habitats and scenic beauty of Saratoga County so that these irreplaceable assets are accessible to all and survive for future generations. PLAN helps landowners conserve farmland, woodlands and natural habitats. PLAN connects people to nature through an extensive trail network, including 10 public nature preserves open for hiking, biking, crosscountry skiing, snowshoeing, and kayaking.