The Norwalk River Valley Trail (NRVT) announces a 1-to-1 match grant from Outdoor Sports Center in Wilton for its year-end campaign, “Join our Journey”. They will match every donation made from Monday, December 14th to Dec. 20th, up to $5000. So with a donation of $50 donated (for example), the NRVT will receive $100 to continue to build more miles of trail.
In 2021, NRVT is scheduled to build an additional 3 miles, with sections in Redding, Wilton and Norwalk. Planning has also begun on an addition to the Wilton East Loop, north of Skunk Lane. Additionally, NRVT is very pleased to announce the authorization of a new trail section at the magnificent Tarrywile Park in the City of Danbury.
For every new portion of the trail, funds are needed for permits, wetlands approvals, state/local leases, engineering, trail design and of course, actual construction. The average cost of construction alone is $250 per foot. While the NRVT does receive grants from the government and foundations, much of the funding comes from local individuals.
Donations can be made on NRVT’s new website: nrvt-trail.com or mailed to:
Friends of the NRVT, Inc.
PO Box 174
Georgetown, CT 06829
“We are so pleased that our friends at Outdoor Sports Center in Wilton are supporting new miles of the NRVT. This year, COVID showed us how important it is to get outside and now there are many new fans of the trail!” said Beth Merrill, NRVT’s Executive Director. “Donating to the NRVT is a gift that comes back to you in the form of new trail to explore and enjoy. We’re so grateful for Outdoor Sports Center’s support.”
When completed, the NRVT will be a 30-mile trail running from Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk, though the towns of Wilton, Ridgefield, Redding and terminating at Rogers Park in Danbury. Currently, The NRVT is 8 miles of well-loved and frequently visited trail, with sections currently in Norwalk and Wilton only. There are still 22 miles more to build.
Outdoor Sports Center is located at 80 Danbury Rd., Wilton. , just 1.7 miles south of a NRVT trailhead (Rt. 7/Wolfpit Rd). Outdoor Sport Center carries cold weather clothing, hiking boots, bikes /bike racks perfect for the trail. And when the NRVT is completed, a section of the trail will be just across the road from the store.
During the first 3 months of the Coronavirus pandemic, the NRVT trail use spiked by over 260%. The NRVT has 8 miles of completed of trail and 22 more miles to build.
About Friends of the NRVT:
Friends of the NRVT is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, dedicated to the creation of a thirty-mile, multi-use, handicap accessible, soft surface trail running through the Heart of Fairfield County from Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk, through Wilton, Ridgefield and Redding, terminating at Rogers Park in Danbury. http://nrvt-trail.com/.