Trails Wend Their Way for All

For more than 50 years, nature enthusiasts have hiked the lush and sometimes twisting trails at Earthplace, a 62-acre wildlife sanctuary nestled in a wooded corner of Westport. What they might not have realized is that Earthplace's trails not only accommodate robust young nature lovers, they also address the special needs of many individuals eager to enjoy the bucolic loveliness of the sanctuary.

The wider and relatively flat paths, known as "Wheels in the Woods 4," are Universal Design Nature Trails fully accessible to individuals in wheelchairs, using walkers or those pushing strollers. The quarter-mile trails wind through an open meadow replete with native grasses, wildflowers and abundant birdlife. Its surface is composed of T-Naps, a hybrid new material made from natural and recycled products. One section is covered with  crushed bluestone.

Margaret Ardwin, director of the Earthplace's Natureplace program as well as its senior naturalist, is particularly proud of the trail. "People sometimes take for granted the fact that they can take a quiet walk in the woods and find peace and tranquility that only nature offers. But not everyone can take advantage of these things," she says. Due to the proper grading, width, slope and surface of the trails, those visitors with limited mobility can have access to the pastoral peace and quiet of Earthplace. Margaret, who has worked at the sanctuary since 1991, adds: "All our trails wind through different habitat types -- swamps, meadows, beech, woodland, young woodlands -- that were once open fields."

Wheels in the Woods 4 is divided into two looped trails: the Discover and the Meadow Grass. Among its many natural attributes, the Discover trail, fully accessible and less challenging, features dappled lighting from the flora in which it was built. It was designed for blind visitors who appreciate the contrast between warm light and cool shade. The slightly more challenging Meadow Grass trail winds around a meadow.

Although its name might be reminiscent of speeding automobiles careening through a quiet forest, Wheels in the Woods 4 couldn't be more opposite. It is a quiet respite -- for everyone.

For more information about the universal trails, visit earthplace.org.

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