Last Updated on November 20, 2024
Nature Trail Club
Bonnie Kawecki, Leader
Donna Ferrara, Co-Leader
The NTC works to preserve and enhance the beauty of the Nature Trail, the Butterfly Garden, the Rock Garden, and the Wildflower Garden by eliminating invasive plants and adding native plants and trees. Our interests extend to helping maintain the beauty and trail of the Lake Charles area including the Old Stone Bridge Trail. We also help the Charlestown community appreciate its natural environment.
Nature Trail Table at the September 2023 Fruits of Our Labor.
| SCHEDULE | TIME | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd Wednesday (Except December) | 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM | Music Room |
See information of their activities:
History of the Nature Trail
As Marie Brinsfield wrote in her brief history of the trail, it was the vision of Paul Gaudreau, a retired architect and early resident of Charles town. Once it was determined that the trail would cross Herbert’s Run, Paul researched bridge designs and produced the sketches from which the covered bridge on the trail was constructed. A plaque at the Cross Creek entrance to the trail is dedicated to him.
John Erickson was an enthusiastic supporter of the trail, and his assistant, Dick DeLottinville, worked closely with Paul Gaudreau to make the trail a reality. With the help of the Grounds Department, the covered bridge and the wishing wells were built and installed, the 4 x 4 timbers that form the curb of the trail were laid, and the banks of Herbert’s Run were stabilized. Later, residents using the wood shop contributed the several benches along the trail. Members of the Maryland Forest Service identified and tagged the 26 species of trees found along the trail.
Several other early residents of Charlestown made significant contributions to the development of the trail. Bill Bowles, Marie Brinsfield, Sally McBride, Ruth and Tom Hopkins, and Lou Romatowski worked to discover, identify, and mark plants and wildflowers, eliminate weeds, and strip ivy from tree trunks. Ruth Hopkins worked to eliminate poison ivy along the trail. Dorothy and Howard Jones planted over 130 ferns. Carl Tongier planted dozens of tiger lilies.
Howard Jones made and installed numbered markers every 25 feet on the curb of the trail. Over the 25 years since the creation of the trail, numerous residents have contributed to its preservation.
Where to Find the Trail
The Nature Trail on the Charlestown campus follows the course of Herbert’s Run, the stream flowing through the wooded ravine behind Brookside.
One entrance to the trail is behind the Cross Creek Station lobby. From this entrance, the path curves downhill to the right and a short walk leads to one end of the trail. To the left, the trail curves downhill, leads across the covered bridge and exits at the Butterfly Garden on Erickson Way. This entrance to the trail is across from the Lake.
The Nature Trail Committee
Paul Gaudreau formed the first Nature Trail Committee made up of the residents who helped to develop the trail. The current Nature Trail Committee meets once a month. It works with the Grounds Committee of the Residents’ Council and the Grounds Department to maintain the Trail, enhance the environment of the Trail, and preserve the numerous native wild flower species.
The Nature Trail Committee is currently made up of a Coordinator, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and about 15 other members, several of whom have assumed responsibility for, among other things, the Butterfly Garden, the Rock Garden, the Wildflower Garden, tree and flower signs, and invasive species. In the Spring, the Committee also stages Nature Fest in conjunction with the celebration of Earth Day.
All are welcome to enjoy the trail and to join in its continuing upkeep and preservation.
Please contact Bonnie Kawecki or Donna Ferrara, with any questions about the Committee. See their contact information in the Resident Directory.
Nature Trail
Spring
Spring on the Nature Trail
In our effort to become more digital, more efficient, and more informative, the Nature Trail Committee is providing their first post to the ccicharlestown.org blog.
The Committee has existed since 1997 and currently has 38 members, as well as liaison with the Grounds Department. New members are always welcome at our monthly meetings in the Cross Creek Crafts Room at 10:00 a.m. on the third Wednesday of each month.
The Committee mission has been to assist the Grounds Department in maintaining Charlestown’s Nature Trail, which is laid out for half a mile along the Herbert’s Run creek in the north part of our campus. Last year, the Committee voted to expand the mission to include the lake area, since the trail around the lake can be viewed as an extension of the Nature Trail, and no other resident group has pursued informal maintenance or improvement of the area.
In future posts we will talk about things to see, problems needing work, and on-going projects along and near the Nature and Lake Trails. We will also discuss Wildflower Day, our annual April event which “opens” the Nature Trail for the warm season after the winter doldrums. This year Wildflower Day will be on April 9, with displays in the Cross Creek lobby, refreshments, drawings, and guided walks along the Trail. We hope to see a great turnout of residents for the event. For more information on our group, contact Bert Clegern.
Covered Bridge on Nature Trail