Trails Advisory Committee helping prospective Eagle Scout

The Norwood Trails Advisory Committee (NTAC) met recently with Norwood Life Scout Bridgette MacLean to discuss her plan for the Ellis Playground Trail (not to be confused with the Ellis Pond Trail).

The trail is located just off Route 1 and already features flat, easy trails – https://gvimes.link/ellisplayground

MacLean is using this project to obtain her Eagle Scout rank. She said her proposal is to put in a Recharge Route, aimed at aiding in relaxation by installing decompression and meditation stations throughout the trail to help patrons both take in the moment and get the most out of their experience.

“It’s to help recharge and reset your body through nature,” she said.

MacLean said the route will have different stations placed throughout the walk with different directives to help walkers in the recharge.

“Each station would have a different prompt to help ground oneself with the real world,” she said.

MacLean said she wanted the trail to be a lasting, long-term contribution to the Town, and adding to a trail in this way seemed like a good way to go about it. She said, however, that her installation plan would not be so long term.

“I plan on completing my project this summer and having it ready in the fall,” she said. “After I get my project approved, I will reach out to different companies to donate and help on the project. Then I will reach out to my troop so they can help, and I can lead them in my project.”

MacLean said she thought Ellis Playground was the perfect trail for the project. She said she choose the project in general because, at least in her life, getting outdoors isn’t an everyday activity, and she wanted to help promote something she feels is important.

“It gives you a break from technology, since I feel that all our lives are wrapped around that, and just gives you an opportunity to reconnect with the real world,” she said. “It’s just a break from everything else, and I wanted to make this because, personally, I deal with a lot of stress and anxiety. I wanted to help people like me who experience the things I go through on a day-to-day life.”

NTAC member Marguerite Krupp suggested installing braille and leading ropes so that vision-impaired patrons could take part. Krupp said MacLean could reach out to the Perkins School for the Blind to help, and NTAC Chair Chris Paddock said he knew someone with 3D printing and braille experience to help.

“The Perkins School calls him now when they need a sign, because he’s really got it figured out,” Paddock said.

NTAC member and Assistant Town Planner Ilex Jones added that MacLean should reach out to the Ellis Nursing Home when putting this together.

“There are a lot of people there who I feel might benefit from this,” they said.

Krupp added that members may be able to help spread the word or organize in the creation of the trail addition. NTAC member Joseph Bartlett said that the Village Green plant shop right next door has historically donated a lot of plants and materials to other organizations in the past and would be a good resource to reach out to.

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“This is what it’s all about man,” said Paddock.

In other news, the Committee presented its Industrious Busy Beaver Award, which is a stuffed toy beaver. The award is passed around from member to member each month based on work they’ve done. This month, member Vic Babel passed the beaver to Dan Dobbels.

“This is a fantastic honor, thank you very much,” Dobbels said.

“You almost literally dove all the way in right away, all the way in, and have been endlessly helpful,” said Paddock. “This is well-deserved. This is all about somebody who has gone above and beyond over the last month. So your job now, Dan, is to take it out on trails and take some photos. We’ll have your initials on it at the end of the month, and next month you have to award it to the next person.”

Lastly, NTAC member Joseph Greeley said permitting and applications for new trail water crossings is going ahead swimmingly – with the help of Dobbels – and they should have more work parties out this summer to help complete the plans around the Meadow Street Trails near the Norwood Memorial Airport.

For more information on those crossings, go to https://gvimes.link/xingexpansion