The Owlkill Trail
(a component of “Owlkill Commons”)
Celebrating the Natural Environment and Creating a Trail System:
The Community Partnership aims to steward the Owlkill, the creek that runs through Owlkill Commons, and enhance residents’ knowledge about – and accessibility to – the stream from Main Street to Cambridge Central School in accordance with the E.P.A.’s Recreation Economy for Rural Communities Plan. Elements of the effort include:
- address the fallen retaining walls adjacent to the Victorian footbridge, potentially removing them and allowing for a more naturalized stream bed (see a concept being considered)
- conserve, steward and enhance the over 1,000 linear feet of stream within Owlkill Commons and work with neighbors to develop a 0.55-mile U-shaped trail along the Owlkill that links the Victorian Footbridge to the Library
- explore the feasibility of partnering with interested neighbors to create a streamside trail from Main Street to Cambridge Central School and then to the Community Forest.
- expand our community’s knowledge and understanding of the Owlkill
Volunteers are removing dead trees and cutting back tall grasses to expose the beauty within the 2.6-acre property. Abandoned treasures have found new homes and debris has been removed from the 700 sq ft lean-to shed, which will be deconstructed, thus improving access to the Owlkill. We have engaged experts to expand our understanding of the property’s natural assets, the Owlkill’s hydrology, and approaches to stream stewardship.
Donating VARAK Park
We are grateful that 17-Mile-VARAK is donating to the Community Partnership approximately 1.15 acres of open space, including a section of the Owlkill over which the Village-owned Victorian Footbridge sits.