Creating a 'Harmony Trail' at Greenwich's Parkway School

Following on the heels of Parkway Elementary School being named a certified Green Ribbon School, volunteers have created a nature trail on the campus of the school on Lower Cross Road.

Members of the Student Habitat committee, the Parkway PTA, Junior League of Greenwich, Sam Bridge Nursery and other organizations including the Boy Scouts, teamed up with students, parents and teachers to construct a 650-foot trail at Parkway Elementary School on April 25.

“We created this trail for our children and the community to enjoy and learn about the birds and plants that are so abundant in our little corner of backcountry,” said Melissa Devaney, one of the organizers and a Parkway School parent. “As a newly minted, nationally certified Green Ribbon School, we hope to connect the curriculum to nature using this outdoor classroom that is rich with opportunities for discovery and learning.”

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Harmony Trail, named after the cattle farm that was located on the property until 1958, includes a variety of native plantings, a science table, and a sign for the entrance. The second phase of Parkway’s Student Habitat project was made possible with donations from the Junior League of Greenwich and Sam Bridge Nursery along with the guidance of Audubon Greenwich.

“We have been working with Parkway School to train some of the teachers in our curriculum,” said Audubon naturalist Sean Graesser, who helped out on trail day. “Parkway first created a wild native pollinator garden in the front of the school and now we’re working on this back trail area where native plantings will create food and structure for migrant birds that are coming through. Wildlife habitats, such as Harmony Trail, help reconnect today’s children to the outdoors.’’

Harmony Trail will be an ongoing project with plans to add educational signs to the trail and to extend the trail it in the future.

Contributed photos:

#1: Students, parents, and Parkway PTA along with the Junior League of Greenwich, Sam Bridge Nursery and other organizations, recently teamed up to construct a 650 foot “Harmony Trail” and wildlife habitat at Parkway Elementary School.

#2: Parkway School students Xander Tommasino and Conor Devaney hold the Harmony Trail sign at the trail blazing event that the Student Habitat committee organized.

#3: Parkway School Principal Patricia Allen and student Lexi Lubarsky help out at the trail blazing event.

#4: Claire Haft and Melissa Devaney helping blaze the new woodland trail at Parkway School.

#5: Helping construct the new Parkway Elementary School “Harmony Trail” are Alex La Padula, a Parkway student, and Sean Graesser, a naturalist with Audubon Greenwich.

#6: Holding the Harmony Trails sign for the new wildlife habitat and trail created at Parkway Elementary School, from left: Amalia Kassaris, Xander Tommasino, Katherine Devaney, Marika Kassaris and Sammie Tommasino.