Dan Antion

Walking On Water – #1LinerWeds

Today’s one-liner is a personal message to our daughter, but I’m sharing it here because it’s so cool! A month ago, I received this message from Faith:

Please Join The Friends of American Legion and Peoples State Forests for the Grand Opening of a new boardwalk on the Agnes Bowen Trail, Peoples State Forest.

That’s not the one-liner.

The reason Faith sent me the invitation was because she has been working with FALPS, doing trail work since early 2021. They worked on numerous Saturdays, including several during the winter. The boardwalk was necessary to avoid having hikers be forced to leave the woods and walk along the road in two sections where the ground was simply too wet. Check out the pictures, we aren’t talking about a few puddles, this is ankle, knee, parts-farther-north, deep water.

The boardwalk runs for 840′ (256 m). They built the walk in two sections and joined it in the middle with a “Golden Screw” ceremony. I attended the ceremony with Faith. The ceremony included a delightful actress portraying Agnes Bowen (who died in 1927), a few Forest Service officials, and a Connecticut State Representative who has supported this and other projects. Following a few speeches by members of FALPS, there was a ribbon vine cutting ceremony.

My one-liner is a bit complicated

“I am proud of Faith for giving back to the forest that she loves, and I am grateful for the members of FALPS for organizing the projects, for giving Faith the opportunity to participate, and for building structures like this, so people like me can enjoy more of the forest.”

I’m also proud of her carpentry skills.

You can read more about this project at the FALPS website.

This post is part of Linda G. Hill’s fun weekly series One-Liner Wednesday. If you have a one-liner, or if you would like to join in on the fun, you can follow this link to participate and to see the one-liners from the other participants.

This was our ride to the boardwalk ceremony.
Agnes Bowen – back from 1924 when the State of Connecticut established the forest at her urging.
The vine cutting ceremony. They asked the cutters to turn and face the cameras.
The far point of the boardwalk. You can see why it was necessary.
The boardwalk is quite sturdy
It was amazing to be able to walk through this portion of the forest.
I think he’s still looking for things to fix.
They added this scenic vista point off the boardwalk.
I love this bench
Lots of plant life.
We wouldn’t be walking here without the boardwalk.
She looks pretty happy with the work the team did.
Lots of species enjoy life in Beaver Brook Marsh
This is Beaver Brook Marsh. FALPS built a boardwalk to an observation platform years ago.
Red Winged Blackbird standing above the marsh.
Red Winged Blackbird

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81 comments

    • Thanks Darlene. Faith emphasizes that she was part of a large team and that everyone deserves the credit. Still, to walk across something that your daughter helped build, I can’t help but feel proud.

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        • It looks narrow, but it’s more than wide enough. There were some places where I could see that the water was pooled to a depth of a few feet. You couldn’t get through here in normal hiking gear.

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  3. That looks like such a great walk into an ecosystem one wouldn’t normally get to experience. The more each of us learns and interacts with nature, the more likely we are to care about what we (and our governments) are doing to it. A worthwhile project!

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  4. Congratulations Faith and the entire team. Their dedication and teamwork has made it possible for countless hikers to enjoy this part of the forest. Dan, you deserve congratulations too. You’re the one who taught Faith when projects like this need to be done, roll up your sleeves, grab a hammer, some nails and a saw, and get to work!

    I bet a lot of the forest critters will be scurrying across this boardwalk too! Happy trails! 🤗
    Ginger

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    • That’s a fun thought, Ginger, that the animals might use the boardwalk. Who knows what goes on in the forest at night.

      I am glad Faith joined this group, and I am glad they welcomed her. I met some of the other members at the picnic, and they are very nice people. Dedicated to the task, but they seem to approach it with discipline and logic. A little distance covered over a series of Saturdays. Sooner or later, the job is done!

      Perhaps in the fall, I will join Faith and hike the trail for a longer distance. It was hot and humid that day, the school bus was a welcome sight.

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    • Walking along and seeing the amount of work – and the conditions they were working in – felt so good. Now people can enjoy a part of the forest that was lost to them. They can even sit and rest and observe nature for a while. It’s really pretty cool.

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  7. You should be so proud of Faith! What an awesome job they did! We have a similar sanctuary and boardwalk at Sea Rim Park down in southeast Texas. We used to walk it all the time when we lived there. I miss it!

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    • They certainly did, Judy. And this wasn’t the only one. The boardwalk path out into the Beaver Marsh is equally as impressive. They do very good work, and it helps so many people explore and enjoy nature.

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  10. It’s refreshing to see a group create a nature path like this. How exhilarating! Thank you for taking us along. The photos are incredible. Bravo to Faith and crew!

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    • I’m proud, and very happy that she found a group she could work with. It takes a lot of support and energy to get a project like this done. Plus some quick thinking on the part of the people designing the boardwalk.

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  12. Faith–you and the team did excellent work. Agnes Bowen was a bit ahead of her time, wasn’t she? How wonderful. I certainly appreciate the boardwalks when we go hiking on various trails near us. Flat land is good, too. But up to my ankles in water? No go. Cutting the vine–that is the best idea yet!

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    • She had good people teaching her out there, too. Building a boardwalk was a bit beyond the carpentry we do around here. Using the tools, she learned here. Practical application was on-the-job training. Very nice for those people to welcome her into the group.

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  14. That’s fantastic Dan. Most large reserve parks in wetlands re built in this way. Bluebonnet Bayou in Louisiana and Blue Spring State Park in Florida are two of my favorites. Congrats to the committee. I see why Faith is so dedicated. I’d be proud too. PS that blackbird is one of hubby’s favorites.

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    • I’m glad I got a decent picture of the bird. It was windy, and the plant he was anchored to was moving. These guys saw a need, worked to design a solution, get funding and then build it. She hikes often in that forest, so this will be something she can be proud of for a good long time.

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  15. Great project, and a big shout-out to all who helped make it happen, especially those who pushed to make it a possibility in the first place. A real feel-good story, and wouldn’t it be great if these kind of efforts were replicated in like parts of our country. Nature, and those who appreciate Nature, can both use a great deal of assistance these days.

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    • This was a long effort to bring everything together. Planning, funding, design – a lot of time by volunteers. There are groups like this all over the place, but I think they work quietly and behind the scenes.

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  18. Dan, congratulations to Faith & the crew. This is a great one liner. There should be more nature specific projects like this one. I noticed a hole in the earth next to one boardwalk photo. Maybe a rabbit hole? Have a great rest of the week. 📚🎶 Christine

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    • I’m sure there is all manner of wildlife out there, Christine. I like how this boardwalk goes quietly through the marsh. People hiking could do a lot of damage. This way, they see everything but there’s minimal intrusion.

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  22. What an awesome accomplishment! Such a boardwalk is not only a boon to hikers, but will also protect the land. Love that Faith got to be an integral part and thank you for sharing this!

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  27. Awesome job, Faith! FALP is a great organization and having been on several boardwalks locally and around Wisconsin, I truly appreciate the work they do. Boardwalks allow us to see the nature that is otherwise unreachable.

    Thanks for sharing, proud Papa Dan.

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  29. Probably like many people, I had zero idea of how much work goes into building and maintaining trails… I just enjoyed the heck out of the fruits of their unseen labor. Then I saw a group of these dedicated individuals clearing fallen branches from a trail that I was on and realized what an amazing job they do… most of it on a volunteer basis. Thank you to Faith and all the other angels whose work allows the rest of us to enjoy nature in safety – both for our protection and the protection of our natural world.

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  33. Hi Dan – brilliant to see their work … and what fun for Faith to be a part of it … loved looking over the area – and just amazing one can ‘go into it’ … thanks – cheers Hilary

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    • The boardwalk lets hikers experience a part of the forest they would never normally see. There’s so much life in that marshy area. It’s an amazing feeling to walk, just slightly above it. They did a wonderful job.

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  34. Something genetic is at work here — what a great Fathers’ Day present! I am imagining what it must feel like to stand on that boardwalk, seeing a whole environment I would otherwise miss. It’s a wonderful thing they’ve done.

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    • Walking through the marsh was a wonderful feeling. Knowing that Faith helped make it possible was even better. So many people were involved, and they worked hard through all kinds of weather. This is a true gift. One where most volunteers will never know who benefits from their work.

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  36. Boardwalks like that are great for giving humans access without destroying the ecosystem they want to observe. We walked to the middle of a prairie on a boardwalk so we could experience it without treading on it.

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    • They are wonderful. In this case, walking without them would require hip boots. But we had a view of marsh land that we could not have without them. I understand how fragile the prairie can be if hundreds of tourists were allowed to tromp all over it.

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