The annual Earth Day clean-up at Newtown Forest Association’s Nettleton Preserve will take place on Saturday, April 20. Residents, Scouts, and friends of the environment who wish to volunteer their time should meet at Old Castle Drive, off Castle Hill Road, at 9:30 am.  

Work will take place from 10 am to noon. Tasks will include pruning the overhanging privet and limbs from the trails, repairing wet trail areas, removing invasive species, mulching existing plantings and flower beds, and cleaning up fallen sticks, logs, and debris.

A limited number of yard tools will be available, but volunteers are encouraged to bring their own pruning clippers, lop shears, bow saws, rakes, and wheel barrows. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

NFA’s Nettleton Preserve spans a mostly wooded area that begins behind Newtown Congregational Church (less than half a mile from the flagpole), up Castle Hill to what is considered by many to be the most spectacular view in Newtown.

Named “Castle Hill” in 1888 for the castle built on the site by world traveler and millionaire Peter Lorrillard Ronald, the deteriorating building was demolished in 1947 and the property donated to NFA by Howard T. Nettleton (1973) and D. Labelle (1996).

Newtown Forest Association, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is the oldest private land trust in Connecticut. The association is dedicated to accumulating and preserving open space and natural resources in Newtown.

Currently, more than 1,100 acres are preserved through NFA stewardship, thanks to the support of membership dues and generous donors. NFA cooperates with but operates independently from the Town of Newtown and receives no funding from the town.

For more information on the forest association, visit NewtownForestAssociation.org or Newtown Forest Association’s Facebook page.