Back to nature — eventually
One year after macroburst, Danbury-area reserve remains closed
BROOKFIELD — After a year of sawing felled and broken trees — and in some cases rerouting walking trails — the Birch Rocks-Pratt Glen Nature Reserve is expected to open again to the public by the summer.
Though broken trees still line the trail and roots that were underground for decades stand exposed, the reserve is a long way from what Carrie Davis, assistant director of land conservation for Weantinoge Heritage Land Trust, encountered shortly after the macroburst hit one year ago Wednesday, leaving a path of destruction in its wake.
Two people in the Danbury area were killed in the violent storm, thousands across the state lost power and fallen trees caused millions of dollars in damage on public and private property.
Some area families moved back into their homes only recently, while nearly two dozen are still displaced a year later.
“I was pretty amazed at the power of the storm and the damage it had created,” Davis said.
About 10 acres were heavily damaged at the Birch Rocks Sanctuary and the Weantinoge Pratt Glen Preserve, a combined 175-acre nature reserve near Lake Lillinonah, Davis said.
Storm damage forced the closure of seven state parks, including three in the Danbury area. Putnam Memorial Park in Redding opened shortly after the storm and Kettletown State Park reopened after about a week of cleanups. Sleeping Giant remains closed in Hamden, though the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection hopes to reopen that park by the summer.
When Davis first arrived at the Birch Rocks-Pratt Glen reserve, it was hard to see the trail at all because the downed trees still had their leaves.
Weantinoge staffers and volunteer Lovett Smith chipped away for weeks, cutting a path anew through the preserve. It became easier as the leaves died and fell off and then when winter came, increasing visibility. Pink ribbons were tied to the trees to mark the route through the work.
A lot of progress was made at a work day in March that drew 19 local volunteers and staff from Weantinoge and Brookfield Open Space Legacy — two organizations that own the different pieces of the reserve and share a trails network that crosses both parts.
A key partnership has been with Ryan Libby, a local Boy Scout using the trail cleanup and improvements for his Eagle Scout project.
He has spent many weekends clearing the trail and using the wood to create better pathways over water and muddy spots. He has also helped reroute the trail in sections where the devastation is too great, especially by the stream.
“By the end of spring, it should be in better shape than before the storm,” Davis said.
Just a few things are left to do, including reblazing the route and updating the map. Davis said they’re trying to get a grant so a professional arborist can remove hazardous trees that hang over the trail.
Davis said she is interested to see how the storm will change the preserve and what grows there, as well as the animals that will call it home. She has already noticed more ferns due to the added sunlight and saplings are already sprouting up.
She said the post-storm preserve offers a unique view to visitors.
“I think it will draw the public to come and see the devastation and power of Mother Nature,” Davis said. “It’s very impressive.”