We are just a couple of weeks into fall, and already we are seeing one of the greatest disappearing acts on earth. In the coming weeks, trillions of leaves will disappear from deciduous trees across New England in a spectacle that draws people from around the world. For those of us who live and work in the middle of the show, it is the one time of the year that it is almost impossible to stay inside and off Newtown’s growing network of trails. The great outdoors is never greater. For those Newtowners who are truly grateful for the natural beauty of our town, there are ways to demonstrate that gratitude.

Our community is fortunate, in that it is the beneficiary of both public and private initiatives to conserve open space for the benefit and use of all townspeople and future generations. Newtown’s Conservation Commission and the Parks and Recreation Commission’s Trails Subcommittee help coordinate volunteer stewardship of the town’s public lands. And the Newtown Forest Association oversees the conservation and maintenance of more than 1,000 acres of private lands. Each of these groups provides opportunities for volunteers to pitch in to maintain and preserve our community’s wealth of natural resources.

Whether it is battling invasive plants, like bittersweet or the mile-a-minute vine, promoting soil and forest conservation practices, or maintaining the town’s existing open space holdings, the Conservation Commission relies heavily on public volunteer support and involvement. To see how you can help, call Newtown’s Conservation Official Ann Astarita at 203-270-4350.

The Parks and Recreation Commission’s Newtown Trails Subcommittee is working on a five-year strategic plan for trail development, and it is working to engage the community in both the use and development of the town’s trail system, including a planned new trail in the Point-of-Rocks Preserve. To get more information about these volunteer efforts or to add your name to the committee’s email list, call Scott Coleman at 203-270-0213 or email him at swcoleman@charter.net.

Most of Newtown’s open space is still in private hands, but it is nice to know that 1,000-plus acres of that land is in the capable and caring hands of the Newtown Forest Association. Volunteers for the NFA take on a variety of stewardship projects, from battling beavers’ perpetual efforts to flood Cavanaugh Pond to cutting brush at the Nettleton Preserve, one of Newtown’s most spectacular leaf-peeping venues off Castle Hill Road. To achieve its primary mission of maintaining the environmental quality of Newtown through the acquisition and preservation of open space, the forest association always welcomes new members, donors, and volunteers to help with its important work. To learn more about the group, visit NewtownForestAssociation.org or email guy.peterson@NewtownForestAssociation.org.

Help keep Newtown’s great outdoors great, not just this month when it is in its glory, but year-round. Give what you can.