Groton Open Space Association

Annual Cleanup Day Heightens Beauty Of Haley Farm State Park

By Sidney F. Van Zandt, GOSA director

GROTON–The 10th annual Cleanup Day at the Haley farm was held by the Groton Open Space Association on Saturday, April 29, 2006.

It was a beautiful, clear day that brought out many walkers, bikers and dog lovers. Forty-seven people signed in and headed off to collect trash. Most of the “treasures” came from high-tide accumulation along the marsh and also up near the Fitch High School playing fields.

It is pretty amazing how pristine the trails are, though; rarely do you find any trash, despite the fact that no trash containers are available at the parking lot. “If you take it in, take it out” seems to be the watchword of the loyal farm walkers.

I hope everyone will go over there this week (or when the sun comes out next) and just take a ten-minute walk to the big stone wall and peek around the corner towards the trail to Bluff Point and “ooh and aah” at the fine job that Ben Adams and his dad, Whitney, did on pruning that fine apple tree. They liberated it from strangulation from vines. Ben needed three hours of community service time for Fitch, and he put in much more than that. And what fine results.

Tom Crowley and son, Tom, were also there with their heavy-duty weed whackers, continuing with their fine work of cutting the fields and clearing the stone walls of vines. The Groton Open Space Association first hired the Senior Tom Crowley, a farmer from Stonington, to clear 16 years of growth. Senior Tom died last year, but his dedication has been passed on to his son and now his grandsons, Brian and Tom, to continue with the ancient John Deere tractor and their weed whackers. (See THE MYSTIC TIMES of May 4 for an article on the Crowleys.) After 20 years of service, the fields are clear, as are many of the walls. GOSA’s stewardship and Haley Farm’s beauty, together with the Crowleys’ efforts, afford all of us incredible beauty as spring bursts into full bloom.

By Sidney F. Van Zandt