Reclaiming Knapp Preserve’s Natural Habitat

By Kendra Bobowick

Early autumn sunlight fell on neatly piled brush and cleared footpaths leading to a riverbank in the Knapp Preserve on Saturday, October 13.

Gently flowing from Curtis Pond toward the Pootatuck River, the stream’s bend carried ducks on a current that passes through the 2.5-acre preserve, where a host of eighth-grade students and Newtown Forest Association (NFA) President Robert Eckenrode worked on site improvements, cleared invasives, freed sapling pines from overgrowth, and removed debris and trash from the NFA property. “We look forward to reclaiming this as habitat,” Mr Eckenrode said.

Based on a flyer discussing the preserve cleanup efforts, Mr Eckenrode had indicated an opportunity to “enhance this treasure of wetlands and wildlife habitat.” Pointing toward a white pine just a half a foot tall, he said, “Some clearing will allow native plants to be released rather than choked out.” He indicated species including Frazier firs, additional white pines, and high bush blueberry plants.

The cleanup efforts made room for heavy machinery to come in and do additional clearing.

Looking at the students in work gloves hauling discarded lumber into a pile for removal, then glancing down a path now free of invasive vines and shrubs, Mr Eckenrode said, “The kids made it happen. It was fortuitous.”

By clearing the area and heaping brush into mounds, Mr Eckenrode said the piles will serve as habitat and protection for wildlife. The property abuts Newtown open space, creating a larger swath of protected land.

The project also served as a “good example of outreach to schools, to engage students in environmental issues.”

Student Ben Mason said, “We wanted to make a difference.” Classmate Lexi Barra noted the changes students could make.

The Newtown Middle School students had chosen a project. “We wanted to do this for the community,” said Hannah Luby.

Other students involved Saturday were Justin Dunn, Jillian Pieretti, Scott Bauer, Ryan Brello, and Amanda Solomon.

The cleanup at Knapp Preserve also fits with the NFA’s stewardship plans for all of its properties — totaling more than 1,100 acres in Newtown. Learn more at NewtownForestAssociation.org.