What Is Left Behind On The Trails

To the Editor:

Last summer, a group of equestrians sent someone to Fairfield Hills in advance of their first ride to mount nonbiodegradable plastic orange streamers to indicate the trail the riders were supposed to follow. They never cleaned up after themselves. Within days, little pieces of plastic were blowing all over the grounds. I always thought equestrians were animal lovers, but this convinced me otherwise. Their actions endangered the wildlife there, and were disrespectful to other people using the grounds for exercise.

I have been picking up pieces of plastic ever since. Today — January 28 — six months later, I picked up over a dozen scraps of orange plastic in the woods and on the field. If riders are planning to use Fairfield Hills in the future, your fellow hikers who are there every day, would appreciate it if you would clean up after yourselves out of respect for the birds, foxes, deer, and other wildlife that live there.

Julie Lyonn Lieberman

Parmalee Hill Road, Newtown                                 January 28, 2007