Latest News

National Trails Day hike:  Sunday, June 4th

Celebrate National Trails Day with a hike at the Mianus River Park on Sunday, June 4th.  We will meet at 9:30 am at the bridge on Merriebrook Lane for a two to three-hour hike. The level will be easy, with leashed dogs welcome.

Board Members Craig Kennedy and Mark Berni will lead the hike. They will share park history and areas of interest. 

Please be sure to bring water and insect repellent.

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Monthly Hikes/Plikes

Join Friends for our monthly hikes.  Our hikes are on the first Monday of every month.  We call these hikes Plikes as we borrow the term from the Swedes who combine jogging and plocka upp (to pick up) to obtain plogging. Thus Hiking plus plocka upp, gets us Pliking.

Our Plikes run about 2 hours and are to the less used areas of the park. This allows us the opportunity to explore, check on the status of less used trails, and tidy up as we go.  

We meet at 9:00 am at the bridge on Merribrooke Lane in Stamford.   Please bring gloves and a small trash bag. We hope that you can join us.

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Eagles on the River

Bald eagles continue to do well on the Mianus River.  Keep an eye for their epic nests. 

The below link has more information plus a great chart about their breeding timeline. 

https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Wildlife/Learn-About-Wildlife/Bald-Eagles-in-Connecticut?fbclid=IwAR2HTF-TShA_9lR-r4LNdzhiE20RWmMYPIvFW4f7Kr-Qen0bu9qyjBDKAOc

Scroll down the page to see recent photos taken of the eagles about a mile down the river from the park.

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Support the Park:

Classy Groundcovers Affiliate Program

As an affiliate of Classy Groudcovers,  Friends earns a percentage of every purchase made using the link below.   The website is comprehensive and provides the necessary detail to ensure you select the correct plants for your yard.  To assist new gardeners, they have also provided a Garden Guide written by Sarah Oliver.

Use the below link to access the Classy Groundcover website and ensure that Friend is properly credited: https://classygroundcovers.com/?affl=Mianus.    

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Don't fence me in (or is it out)?  

With Covid-19,  we have seen a surge in park visitors.  Anyone frequenting the park will notice the added trash plus wear and tear.   Besides being very unsightly, it becomes especially problematic near the riverbanks.  When trees and shrubs are destroyed,  their roots can no longer hold the dirt in place.  The resulting erosion impacts not only the quality of the water but also the habitat for the aquatic species making their home in the river.   The widening river becomes warmer as it becomes shallower.  This impacts trout and other native aquatic species as they thrive in cooler climates.

Fences have been placed along the river's edge to address erosion.  They serve to not only mitigate the damage created by park users but also to create an environment that allows flora and fauna to thrive.  The goal is to restore the areas to their original state so that fences can be removed.  However, it takes time and patience for Mother Earth to work her magic.