ANSONIA – Caring for the environment and making sure Mother Nature is happy comes second nature to Dan Bosques.
Known as “Ranger Dan,” the Assistant Director at the Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center is dedicated to teaching tomorrow’s generation the importance of protecting the earth today.
That’s why Bosques was thrilled when the Friends of the Ansonia Nature Center recently “adopted” Cub Scout Pack 51, as its sponsor.
Bosques said Pack 51 Scoutmaster Jim Blaskewicz approached Nature Center Director Alison Rubelmann about considering having the center sponsor the new pack.
Scouts prepare to do battle with the branches at the Ansonia Nature Center last month.
“We thought that it would be a win-win situation for both the Nature Center and the scouts,” Bosques said, adding the pack meets at the center every other Thursday at 6:30 p.m., and is always welcoming interested children who want to get into Scouting.
One of the first projects Bosques and the scouts – who range in age from five to 10 – are tackling together is restoring Red Wing Pond. The two-acre, man-made pond is fed by and drains out as Two-Mile Brook, which is a tributary to the Housatonic River. Making sure the pond is in tip-top shape is important to the local eco-system.
“The pond has needed attention for some time, so I took it upon myself to work with volunteers to cut back excessive vegetation and open up the outlet of the pond,” Bosques said. “I was able to initially accomplish a healthier-looking pond by hand-dredging a couple of times per week.”
Aside from keeping the pond draining in a healthy manner, Bosques and a local volunteer (who wished to remain anonymous) over the last few weeks removed some unhealthy trees and limbs around the pond.
And that’s where Pack 51 came into play last Sunday (Feb. 27) when the center and the scouts held their first of many “work parties.”
“Pack 51 stepped up to help us with the pond work, and part of their work was to create bush piles for New England cottontail rabbits,” Bosques said.
The scouts adopted the pond, and will be helping with maintenance.
As part of the project, the scouts will monitor fishing line disposal stations, build animal-proof trash receptacles, and will use the kiosk at the pond to announce important information
For example, the scouts created a colorful “Leave No Trace” sign to ensure visitors clean up after themselves and their pets, which is currently on display in the kiosk. During the warmer months and fishing season, the scouts will cut back vegetation and perform routine litter patrols of the area.
Blaskewicz said partnering with the Nature Center is beneficial on many fronts.
“Scouting is about teaching life lessons and life skills and giving back to the community,” he said. “Our ‘Adopt-A-Spot’ project teaches the kids responsibility of taking care of something, as well as gives the community a great place to spend time doing outdoor activities.”
All photos courtesy of the Nature Center and the Boy Scouts.
Scout Matthew Frouge, 10, said he had a blast at last month’s work party and is looking forward to helping keep the pond and its surroundings clean and healthy. He said he enjoyed clearing brush and making brush piles that will double as habitats for small animals like rabbits and chipmunks.
“It’s a fun activity that helps the environment, and you get to see how nature really works,” Matthew said.
The scouts were treated to lunch following a hard day’s work.
Blaskewicz said Pack 51 currently has 15 members from the area and is always looking to recruit new kids. A new troop for older Boy Scouts is also in the process. More information about Pack 51 can be found on their Facebook page:
Cub Scout Pack 51- Ansonia | Facebook
Bosques said the pond remediation project is part of a multi-faceted project geared to making even more improvements to the 156-acre property. He’s hoping to eventually transform a small, historic barn on the grounds into a sugar house where maple sap from the trees could be boiled down and made into maple syrup. He said that would involve some major fundraising efforts and tracking down some grant money.
More information about the Nature Center, located at 10 Deerfield Lane, can be found online at:
