Volunteers in New London look to reclaim Bates Wood Park

Yahoo

09-03-2025

New London — New London high school student Galileo Thompson admits to having little experience hiking or being in the woods.
It's not my thing," the 16-year-old said, shortly before arming himself with a bow saw and working to cut and free a fallen tree limb entangled in a tent at an abandoned encampment in Bates Woods Park.
Despite his aversion to briars and tree roots, Thompson joined more than two dozen others Saturday at the park for what he said he sees as a worthy cause, cleaning up one of the few wooded areas in the city. He was one of a group of volunteers that fanned out into the woods carrying garbage bags rakes, loppers, saws and buckets as part of the quarterly cleanup effort.
The cleanup at the city's largest green space was organized by Bates Friends Forever, an all-volunteer group that advocates for the conservation and enhancement of the park. Frida Berrigan, the group's co-founder, said Bates Woods is a great spot for hiking, bird watching and dog walking but unfortunately has very few visitors. She's hoping her group might be able to provide incentives to attract people in. Regular cleanups and hikes are a good way to expose people to the park, she said.
"We think the park is amazing and not enough New Londoners know they are allowed in there," Berrigan said. "There's no encouraging signage or maps of this urban woodland."
Volunteers at past cleanups filled dozens of garbage bags of trash and hauled out bulky waste that included mattresses and tires. One person pulled an old lawnmower out of the woods during Saturday's trek.
Bates Friends Forever, an outgrowth of opposition to the the city's storage of excess construction debris at the capped former landfill adjacent to the park, is now focused on encouraging access. Berrigan said the the effort to mark and name trails has already begun. Her group has applied for grant funding for trail head markers and others things to help encourage residents into the park, which connects to Clark Lane in Waterford.
New Londoners Cassady Zipkin and Anthony Zerkow, three young children in tow, joined Saturday's group, in part, as a way to expose their kids to the outdoors. Zerkow said he was also interested in seeing what Bates Woods Park, aside from its pavilions and playgrounds, had to offer. Bates Woods Park, once was home to a zoo, is between 65 and 85 acres depending on who you ask, Berrigan said.
Ricardo Pratts, a member of the city's Parks & Recreation Commission, said he's been in the city for 30 years and "never stepped foot into these woods."
"Nobody comes back here. But it's truly a beautiful area and our kids are unaware of it, Pratts said.
If people felt safe and the place was more inviting, Pratts said he thinks more people might take the opportunity to take a look, especially considering the number of people who live within walking distance and the areas of the city it connects.
The park is expected to see more activity in the coming months. The city's Planning and Zoning Commission has approved construction of a 3,000-panel solar farm to be located on the capped former city landfill at the park. The plan awaits approval by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The area is now a meadow bordering the park and Berrigan said while she is in favor of solar power, she remains disappointed in the decision to cover up the green space in what she considers part of Bates Woods.
The city recently went out to bid on construction of a new 24-foot wide, 900-foot long driveway to access the former landfill in order to construct the solar array. The driveway is expected to be constructed in part with the construction debris stockpiled by the city at the base of the landfill.
For information, visit https://www.batesfriendsforever.org/ or email [e-mail]
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